Memories of the Present
by caj-trixie
Summary: When the Shikon shards go hay-wire and the well is sealed, Kagome's time becomes her home. What about Inu Yasha? Memories are brought to life, irony takes its throne, and love is the all around ruler. I/K, M/S romance/angst/humor *Complete 4/5/03*
1. Memories of a Mudboy

_= thoughts *_* = sound/ italicized "_" = speech//_// = narration

Hey everyone!^_^ A few things. First, I know the verb tenses are a little odd, but the next couple of chapters, will be a memory from the day after this. When people are talking, you are seeing it and there fore it is in present tense. When they're just standing or there's a bit of description, it's a memory and it's past tense. And of course, the narration is past tense. Also, I hope no one minds me using "Inu Yasha" instead of "Inuyasha".^_^; lol I just like typing it that way. *shrugs* Oh, and I know, a lot of speech. Things should get back to normal fan fic type writing when there are less people to deal with, but this is the first fic I've done in this style. Usually I write stories (though I *_rarely*_ write stories) in kind of a script/play style. You know, with scene settings, names next to each part, and so on.^_^ Heh, this is kind of new to me. Anyway, hope you like it!^_^ enjoy!

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Disclaimer: I don't own Inuyasha or any of the characters in it. If I did I'd be rich, but I'm not... and if I had lots of money I'd probably spend it on anime anyway so pleeaasseee, don't sue me.^_^ lol  


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Memories of the Present

Chapter 1:Memories of a Mud-boy.

So warm... so very warm ...

It was only yesterday that I left the Sengoku period. It was such a beautiful day... so warm. The golden sunlight was glittering from the heavens, spilling forth through the trees, towering above the world. There were bluebirds singing; I can remember that much, and the air was sweet, purified after the long night of rain. Everyone was so happy, but not as happy as I am now. No, I don't think anyone could be as happy as I am now...

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"Damnit Kagome! Why do you always have to go back?! You went back last week, and now you want to stay for what, *another* week?! We're on a time limit!" The hanyou growled.

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//There go the chirping birds. The noise probably scared them off. Heh, and to think, I was so mad at him then. //

Two figures stood in the middle of a clearing. To either side of them was forest, and in one direction, a village. This is the village that they had journeyed from. To the other side was an ancient well, incredibly worn throughout time, but one could never tell, save by looking over the vines that grew around it. The one yelling, well, they were both yelling, but the one yelling now was standing in between the other and the ancient well. He was truly a sight in the frigid morning air. The sunlight glinting off of his sterling white hair caused it to take on an almost yellow sheen, while his eyes, more golden than the sun, betrayed his every word. He was stiff, rigid with the thought of his parting comrade. His clothes, blood red, swayed gently with the oncoming winds and his ears, strangely dog-like in nature, twitched and swiveled to hear every sound, every movement around him. He was angry, but not as much as you might suspect. He seemed more hurt than anything.

" I've told you a hundred times Inu Yasha; we always go through this! I have to go back to take tests!" 

//The usual response, it's always the same. Maybe I shouldn't have gotten in his face about it though. //

Now the other's turn, she stood, every bit as stiff as he. Her school uniform, a white shirt with green stripes and a green skirt that went halfway to her knees, blowing softly in the breeze. She wasn't of his time, that much was certain. Her raven hair shone, darkness against the oncoming day. Her chocolate-brown eyes locked stubbornly with the eyes of her hanyou companion, refusing with all of her strength to secede. She seemed to possess a spirit rarely seen in any time, and this did not go unnoticed, especially to the keen senses of her friend. They were made for each other.

"You ALWAYS have tests! Why are they so important? Are they really more important than us?" 

//What he really meant was, "Are they more important than me," but how was I to know that? //

The girl lets out a frustrated huff, "Look, let me try to explain this to you. How do you judge others in this time period?"

He looks away thoughtfully, absently poking his chin with one finger, " Well, by strength, speed, and fighting ability of course!" Inu Yasha turns away and slowly pulls towards Kagome. Almost face to face, he squints at her and smirks. This is *never* a good sign. "Something you need to work on I might add." 

"Ohhh!!!!" Kagome fumes, fists at her sides. Through gritted teeth she sighs, trying to calm down. It won't help anything if I yell at him Calming herself, she continues, "That's what you need to survive in your time right?"

He scoffs and turns away, "Yeah, so what?"

"Well, I go to school to learn what I need to know to survive in *MY* time. Tests rank what you know so that you can be placed in a position which may affect how you spend the rest of your life. I *have* to do well on them! And everyday I'm here..." She was abruptly cut off by a surprised, and relatively wide-eyed hanyou.

" ...you're missing something that you need to know... to survive in your time?"

A bright smile and a soft laugh fill the air, the look of utter and complete relief completely engulfing her form, "Exactly." And I thought he'd NEVER get it! 

"Oh..." 

...maybe he'll let me go this time...

"So what?! You don't need to stay there anyway!" 

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//Heh, I think I'd spoken a bit too soon...//

" Oh, Inu Yasha...," Kagome looks at him, the best sweet smile she could muster plastered across her face, "you're *IMPOSSIBLE_*_!!! BAKAAA!!!!"

After a short-lived yelp, a surprised Inu Yasha jumps back, slightly cowering, but trying desperately to regain his composure and to hide his ever spreading blush with a scowl, Were those *flames_* _?! Standing upright, he walks back towards her and tries for a witty comeback, "O...o...oh yeah! Well, at least I can... "

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// I did say "tries". //

" Inu Yasha, Kagome, watch out! He's coming!" They both look over to see a slightly worried Miroku. running towards them, staff in one hand and sweat beading on his brow. Neither of them had ever seen him run so quickly before. His robes, both the dark under and the purple over, never hindered his ability to run or to fight. It was amazing to say the least.

" What are you babbling about monk?!"

" I just want to warn you that Ko...," he stops dead in his tracks. All around the clearing there is no sound. In the surrounding forest the trees sway and the grass glistens in the morning sun; leaves rustle gently, but no sentient noise, not even that of breathing can be heard. Nothing is so foolish as to make noise now.

Up ahead of Miroku, Inu Yasha is sprawled across the ground on his stomach. No, Kagome hadn't said anything; it was much worse. As the whirlwind dies down, he can easily see Kouga, proudly standing on top of Inu Yasha, and smirking as he feels something squishy beneath his feet.

" Hmm? Oh, dog-turd! Hey, where's Kago...," he sniffs the air gently and looks to his side, "Hey Kagome! There you are!" As he takes her hand in his, he hears a soft grumbling from beneath him. Curious, he looks down and grins, "Oh, you still here?"

"Why you! Get the hell off of me you wimpy wolf! And get your hands off of Kagome!" Kouga laughs. Inu Yasha does make an interesting sight. His teeth are bared, exposing his fangs, and his ears are pressed firmly against his head. It'd be frightening if he weren't covered from head to toe in dark, sticky mud, and red-faced beneath that. Inu Yasha struggles a little before Kouga looks up towards Kagome. 

"Kouga-kun, will you...?"

"Anything for you Kagome." He silently steps to the side, glancing at his feet he utters an almost unheard moan, even to the present demons' ears, "Ewww...dog-turd... " He looks back up, flashing a great big smile for girl who stands there nervously, awaiting the fight that is sure to come. Noticing her nervousness, Kouga asks protectively, "Has he been bothering you Kagome?"

"Um... Kouga-kun... "

In a second, Inu Yasha is up and in between the two, fists clenched in anger. "Why you...!!! Stop talking to her like that!"

From off to the side, a little, "Well... ," can be heard, and all eyes turn on the pouting girl. Kagome pokes her lip and then presses her index fingers together shyly, "Well, actually, I *WAS* sort of tying to go home..."

Inu Yasha glares at her, "You wouldn't *dare*..."

She glares back, "Try me."

After that, it was some time before anyone said anything. Sango had arrived and was now standing next to Miroku, wearing, not her demon hunting uniform, but one of a simple villager. Her hair, black like Kagome's, wafted slightly as she looked from one to another. She wore an expression of slight confusion, but was pretty sure she had an idea about what was going on. Kirara, her cat, was on her shoulder, waiting patiently, and Inu Yasha was entranced in a death stare with Kagome. The only ones that seemed unfazed by all of the commotion were Miroku and Kouga. 

Kouga watched the two from the sidelines, waiting for the moment when their gazes no longer battled, but not foolish enough to try and draw attention to himself. That was the time, when they had stopped fighting, that he'd kick Inu Yasha's ass for being so rude to "*his_*_ woman". Miroku just looked to everyone, lowered his head and shook it sadly. He sighed.

Clearing his throat, Miroku looks softly towards Kagome, as to not make things turn on him instead of the fuming, mud-covered dog demon before them. "Kagome, if you leave, Inu Yasha may take it upon himself to bring harm to Kouga in your absence. Without your objections, I fear for the worst."

Kouga huffs, "What, that idiot? I'm a full demon, not some mutt like him! What makes you think he could touch me, much less hurt me?" 

"Who are you callin' a mutt you wimpy wolf!"

Kouga smirks, lifting his head and looking down over his shoulder to the snarling half-demon," You of course! I think it'd be a degrading title to anyone el... hey!" Kouga stumbles backwards as Inu Yasha appears right in his face, "That's it! You want a fight?!"

The mud laughs, "Bring it on." Through bared teeth, the two growl at one another, totally unaware that the objet of their fight is slowly making her getaway.

"Miroku?"

"Yes Sango?"

"Where's Kagome going?" The growling stops and the two men stare at each other blankly.

"Looks like she's using this to her advantage."

"Smart girl." Miroku nods silently.

"Umm... Kagome?," Kouga asks, confusion written clearly across his features, "Why are you hopping into that well?"

Inu Yasha's eyes bulge. "What?!" His ears swivel quickly towards the well, trying to place truth to what Kouga had said.

"Sorry guys! See you when I get back... um, in about a week! Bye everyone!"

They all watch in silence as her form drops into the well. Fearing the worst, Kouga shouts, "Kagome!," and rushes to her aid, only to find her completely gone. "What the..."

Inu Yasha rushes past him, leaping into the well, "Damned girl!" He turns, grinning at the startled wolf prince as he descends into the depths, " Sorry wimpy wolf, but you can't come! Heh, see ya!" And with that, he too was gone. 


	2. A Trip to the Present

Hey there again! Um...read the warning for the first chapter again for here okay?^_^ Also, I know that Souta refers to Inu Yasha as Inu-noneechan (dog brother), but I'm not exactly sure how to spell it.^_^; heh, sorry.

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Disclaimer: I don't own Inuyasha or any of the characters in it. If I did I'd be rich, but I'm not... and if I had lots of money I'd probably spend it on anime anyway so pleeaasseee, don't sue me.^_^ lol

Oh, and as always,

_= thoughts *_* = sound/ italicized "_" = speech//_// = narration

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Memories of the Present

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Chapter 2: A Trip to the Present

Kouga had stood there for a while now, unable to believe what had just taken place. His mind replays the events that occurred before, trying to make even the slightest sense out of what he had seen. Kagome had been yelling at Inu Yasha. Good for her. He probably deserved it. They had been arguing about something... what was it? They were arguing about her wanting to go home. Kouga nods, Yeah, that's what it was about. He had come up and trampled the hanyou until he was little more than a pile of mud. That was fun. Kagome asked him to let mud-boy up and then he and Inu Yasha had started fighting. Then Kagome jumped down a well and disappeared and…no, wait, that's not possible! But then again, Dog-turd did as well. Wait, he went after her! He's alone with Kagome!

"Damnit! He's alone with my woman!" Kouga yells as well's form quickly approaches. "Why that little... !"

"I wouldn't do that if I were you..."

Kouga stops in his tracks, Oh yeah, I forgot about the monk. 

"...only Inu Yasha and Kagome may pass through the sacred well."

Kouga listens as grass crunches next to his feet. He looks down only to find a little fur-ball standing next to his foot, munching happily on some weird round thing. He shudders as the little kitsune continues to eat and looks up at him. "Yeah, it won't work for any of us," the little fox says. He sighs, " I want to go visit Kagome's time too!"

"Kagome's… time?" The wolf prince thinks a moment, "But wait..." Ahh, sweet realization, "you mean that dog-turd has my woman and I can't do anything about it?!"

"Well, that's not entirely true." Kouga turns his attention back to Miroku. "Technically, she's not your woman." A low growling can be heard as Miroku hurriedly backs away, hiding behind Sango. Realizing his mistake, he "chivalrously" stands in front of her as to protect her from any "harm" that may come their way.

"Don't worry Sango, I'll protect you." He grins as sweetly as possible towards the not-so-unsuspecting demon huntress. True to his words, but not to his hands, a familiar scene takes place:

"Thank you houshi-sama" She picks up Hiraikotsu and hits him over the head with it, thinking defeatedly, But who's going to protect me from you? 

All attentions turn back to the kitsune as he jumps into Sango's arms. "Sango, do you think Kagome will bring me back more of... um... these?" he asks holding out a, now empty, box of doughnuts.

Sango laughs softly and holds Shippou; "She always brings something back for you Shippou. Though, I'm sure that if she doesn't bring you those, she'll bring you something better." An excited squeal escapes from the little kitsune as he runs to the well and yells, "Come back soon Kagome!"

Kouga sadly kicks a small rock, causing dirt and dust to float about in the mid-morning sunshine, accentuating the scattered beams of light. I wish she's bring something for me. 

"Damn. Hey, you guys think I could stay around here until she gets back?"

Sango smiles politely, "I don't know if there is a hut to spare in the village, but you can stay with us if you'd like."

Miroku sighs, "Ahh, sweet revenge... " Confused eyes turn on the surprised monk, "What?"

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I had just jumped out of the shrine when something felt odd. I had this weird sinking feeling as I walked onto the grounds and towards the house, but I couldn't put my finger on what was causing it. I just shrugged and walked towards the front door, but not without taking a moment to look around. There was the God tree, same as it had been for ages. I smiled, He looked so peaceful. Then I had to go and wake him up. Laughing, I made my way around; the well shrine was as I had left it, in other words, no Inu Yasha. Phew, I'd thought to myself. I mean, it's not like I didn't want him there. He could just be a lot of trouble sometimes and I know that after Kouga showed up, he would be as mad as ever, and would probably drag me back by my hair if need be. I shook the thought from my mind and continued walking. Souta was playing in back; I could hear Buyou's screams as he tried to run. Fat as that cat was, he was pretty quick. After one last look I decided that nothing seemed to be amiss and decided to take my chances and start studying. That always gave me a bad feeling anyway, but as I neared the house a voice caught my attention and I knew what was wrong. Unfortunately, my attempts to sneak to the back door weren't unnoticed and the voice called out to me. I thought it couldn't get much worse, but how wrong I was. As I soon found out, Inu Yasha had seen as well, and needless to say, he wasn't happy about it.

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A tall form snuck out of the well as quietly as it could, trying with all of its might not to start laughing. Consumed in shadows, all that could be seen was a pair of glowing, smirking, golden eyes.Wimpy wolf, thinks he can touch Kagome? Ha! Heh, I guess I showed him., the smug half-demon thought. He mumbled happily as he leaped out of the well out and bounded up the steps into the temple grounds, only to be greeted with a soccer ball to the face.

"Hey!" he yelled, all attempts at stealth currently fleeing his mind. He turned towards where the ball had originated only to see a young boy run up to him. "What the hell was that for?"

"Sorry... oh! Inu-noneechan! What happened? Are you looking for Kagome? I don't know if she's home yet, but considering you're here she must b..."

"Shhh!!! Do you want them to hear us?!," Inu Yasha hissed, rubbing his swollen cheek. Souta picked up his soccer ball. "Keh, besides, like I'd have any interest in... who is that anyway?"

"Huh? Who's who...?" Noting where Inu Yasha was staring, Souta looks over his shoulder and sighs. This is going to be trouble. "Oh, that's just Hojo."

Inu Yasha's ears twitch, "Who's Ho... Hojo?" He scowls as he watches the boy talking to his Kagome.

"He's just some guy from neechan's school. It looks like he's going to make another pass at her." He sighs and shakes his head, Won't he ever learn? 

"What that?"

Souta blinks at the sudden question, "What's what?" 

"What's 'a pass'?"

He laughs, "Oh! It means that he's always bringing her presents hoping that she'll go out with him."

Inu Yasha looks at him, obviously confused, "'go out with'?"

"Um... yeah, you know, date?" And with that, Souta's hero was gone. It didn't take long to figure out where he went and Souta hurriedly scrambled to the back door and upstairs, hoping to get to his sister's window in time for the fight. From there he'd have the best viewing spot in the entire shrine.

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Stupid human! Is THAT why she's always taking those tests? Why I autta! If he so much as *TOUCHES* my Kagome I'll rip him to shreds! Doesn't he know what he's getting himself into?! Inu Yasha mumbles, running at top speed across the shrine. Damned if he'd even let him get near his Kagome.

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// I wonder if it had ever occurred to him that I'd be upset if he barged in like that. //

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"So Kagome, how are you? You've been sick a lot lately and... hey, you shouldn't be carrying that!" A boy about a head taller than Kagome gently relieves her of her backpack. "You aren't well enough to be trying to carry all of that stuff! You should really be in bed; I hear you have a test in a few days." He struggles lamely with the pack before realizing how heavy it is and sets it just inside the door, "Wow, how did you carry that? I could barely even pick it up!"

Kagome barely looks at Hojo. He, as usual, is wearing the male uniform from her school. A black set of shirt and pants stretching from about half way up his neck, down to his black, neatly polished shoes. His brown hair, always neat, brought back memories of other times he had tried to ask her out. She always had to look up to talk to him. He's sweet, but he hasn't got a clue has he? No, she thinks, I don't think he could even catch a clue. I wonder, if I told him what I've really been doing, would he...

"Kagome, are you okay? You've been standing there for a few minutes now. Maybe I should help you to bed." Kagome glances up just in time to see his hands reach out and grab her own. He tries leading her into the house saying something about her needing to get to bed, but she doesn't hear him. The sinking feeling in the pit of her stomach is getting worse and she has no idea why.

The only thing that could make this worse is if Inu Yasha showed up and killed him. 

As if on cue, a red blur streaks past Kagome and stops right in between her and Hojo. Before she can look up, Inu Yasha has him by the collar, lifting him up and yelling at him. "Who are you? What do you want with Kagome?!"

Kagome sighs and holds her head painfully, "Inu Yasha, let him go."

"But Kagome..."

"Inu Yasha...," he knew that tone all too well, but this was a matter of pride.

"But..."

"Sit."

One small yelp and a large thud later, Inu Yasha is back on the ground swearing just outside of the human hearing range. Kagome sighs again as Hojo readjusts his collar and, innocently asks, "Kagome, do you know him?"


	3. Entertainment

Lol well, I'm still typing! This is about where I start making stuff up. Up until now I imagined everything and wrote it down before I fell asleep last night. *****shrugs* oh well, I guess we'll just have to see what happens!^_^

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Disclaimer: I don't own Inuyasha or any of the characters in it. If I did I'd be rich, but I'm not... and if I had lots of money I'd probably spend it on anime anyway so pleeaasseee, don't sue me.^_^ lol

Oh, and as always,

_= thoughts *_* = sound/ italicized "_" = speech//_// = narration

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Memories of the Present

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Chapter 3:Entertainment

*click, click, click, click...* The sound had been continuing for a while now, slowly reaching the limits of it's audibility just outside of the Higurashi's kitchen. Mrs. Higurashi, wearing an apron and holding a slightly chopped onion in one hand, looks thoughtfully towards the living room. "What's wrong dad? Nothing on TV?"

"My granddaughter is out there with that Hojo again."

"Ahh," She cleans a knife on her apron as she walks towards her father, "What's wrong with Hojo? He seems sweet enough."

"Exactly, I don't trust him."

"I really don't think you have to worry. Don't forget, my daughter has a jealous half-demon chasing her around." Mrs. Higurashi giggles softly as she remembers the stories Kagome has told her after coming back from some of her adventures. She shakes her head gently, short, dark hair fluttering back and forth with the sudden movement. He really is sweet at heart.

"And I'm not supposed to be worried?"

Mrs. Higurashi smiles, "No." She laughs, "And besides, it looks like he's already here."

"Huh?"

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Inu Yasha jumps up, red-faced and covered in mud, to face Kagome. "What'd I do?!"

"You know," Hojo cuts in, slightly annoyed, " You really have no right to talk to Higurashi like that. Besides, we haven't been properly introduced." He looks Inu Yasha up and down, "But I think you need to bathe first."

Kagome unsuccessfully attempts to cover a snicker behind her left hand as Inu Yasha looks over his shoulder. Scowling, he faces Hojo, and looks at him with a "How stupid are you" look on his face. "Look, Hojo was it? Do you have a death wish?"

The boy blinks, thinks a moment, and responds; "Well, no, not really. Why?" Hojo flashes one of his large friendly smiles.

Both Kagome and Inu Yasha fall over and Hojo stares blankly at them, "What, did I miss something?"

"Why you!!!" Claws flexed, Inu Yasha darts towards the unsuspecting boy, stopping only at the sound of Kagome's voice.

"Sit."

"Look Hojo," Kagome cuts in, "I'm uh... not feeling very well. I should go to bed. Maybe you should come back another time."

"Oh, of course! Well, enjoy the bamboo and get well soon! Don't forget to exercise!" 

As Inu Yasha pulls himself off of the ground, yet again, they watch as Hojo runs down the steps, smiling and waving to them both the entire way down. It only took him a few minutes, but waiting for him to leave seemed to take a few lifetimes. Once out of sight, Kagome turns to go inside with Inu Yasha on her heels. The hanyou frowns, "Is he ALWAYS that like that?"

"Yes." She shakes her head and turns around. "I hate to say it, but he's about as sharp as a puddle of water." She turns back and looks at him over her shoulder. "You DO realize that you're not putting one foot into my room like that right?"

"Like what?" He looks himself over. Sure, there's a bit of mud on his clothes... well, everywhere really. And he was tracking it into the house, but so what? Her mom would clean that up, why would she care? Frankly, he didn't see the problem. They continued walking upstairs. Once at her door, Kagome strolls into her room nonchalantly and the door slams in his face, knocking him backwards and almost back down the stairs.

"Hey! What's the big idea?!"

Kagome leans against the back of her door, "I told you! You're not coming in here until you have a bath! Go find Souta and ask him to have one with you." Mom's going to *kill* me for the mess on the carpet. *she puts her face in her hands and shakes her head gently.

Inu Yasha turns away and crosses his arms over his chest, this trademark look evident even through the door, "Feh! Why should I?"

The door, now slightly cracked, produces a waving hand and a glaring eye, "Because you get no food until you're clean." And with that, her door is locked leaving an incredibly dirty half-demon standing in the hallway.

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"Well, what'd we do now?"

Back in the Sengoku period, the group tries to decide what they'll do now that their main entertainment is gone. They had ventured back to Kaede's hut, and were now huddled around a fire, eating and discussing their next move.

"We could look for more Shikon shards."

"Yeah, but there hasn't been a rumor for weeks."

"Hmm... good point. We could go searching the villages."

"You just want to hit on all of the pretty girls."

"They have to be pretty? Ouch!"

"Miroku, be nice to Shippou!" A large *whack!* is heard and Hiraikotsu is set down in the corner.

"Oww, then be nice to me!"

Sango sighs, "This is getting us no where. Shippou, I'm going to go take a bath. Will you watch Miroku for me until get back?"

Shippou nods and gets an affectionate pat on the head in thanks, and then Sango heads out, wishing Kagome were with her.

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Mmmm... this is so nice. I wish Kagome were here though. A bath is much more fun with someone to gossip with. Sango laughs; that was definitely one of the finer points to traveling with the group. I wonder if Inu Yasha is driving her crazy yet. Wait, what am I thinking, what do I mean *YET*?! She sighs, That boy, they're almost in the same situation I'm in, only it's obvious he loves her. Well, maybe not to her but... wait, what was that?!

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"SSShhhhhhh... Shippou, quiet! She'll hear us!" Miroku peeks from behind a bush, Yeah, she definitely heard, but I don't think she suspects us... not yet at least. Maybe if I just sit here quietly for a few minutes... 

"I thought you said that Sango was in trouble?"

EEEEkkkk!!!! Miroku slaps a hand over Shippou's mouth, " Look, I want to protect Sango from anything dangerous while she's bathing, but... "

" You mean like you?"

"Ye... wait, what?! No!!!"

"Who's there?"

"Crap." Oh great, Miroku thought, "Now we're doomed.

"Sango, over here! Miroku's come to muphumenuma"

"*Quiet*!"

"Miroku?"

Well, here goes nothing... A smiling face pops up out of the bushes along with a covered hand. "Hi Sango. Well, I just wanted to make sure you were okay and I... " Wait, where'd she...

"HENTAI!!!" *whack!* 

Splashing and sputtering, Miroku reemerges only to find himself face to face with an infuriated demon huntress. He ducks another attack from the Hiraikotsu and scrambles to get out of the hot spring, Sango on his tail. 

"Get back here!"

"Ahh!!! Sango, it was just in good fun! I was only trying to protect you, really!"

"Who's going to protect me from you?!"

"Hmm... ," Miroku's stops sending Sango running past him. His features scrunch, making a very determined thinking face as he strokes his chin with his index finger, "Who *IS* going to protect me from you?"

He immediately jumps up and begins running the other way, Sango chasing him once again, "HOOUUSHIII!!!"

Through all of the commotion, Shippou just sits back and watches. He's learned many times that if you try and get in the middle of a romantic dispute, you get hurt, so instead, he settles on sitting back against a rock and letting them entertain him. Man, I wish I had some of that stuff... what did Kagome call it? Popcorn? 


	4. A Painful Past

Hmm... where to start...? Heh, this is more of a mushy one, but has a bit of foreshadowing, so it's all good. Man, I wish I could write stuff like this more often.^_^ I'm a MAJOR romantic and this is what I feel most comfortable writing.^_^ Oh well, anyway, enjoy okay?

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Disclaimer: I don't own Inuyasha or any of the characters in it. If I did I'd be rich, but I'm not... and if I had lots of money I'd probably spend it on anime anyway so pleeaasseee, don't sue me.^_^ lol

Oh, and as always,

_= thoughts *_* = sound/ italicized "_" = speech//_// = narration

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Memories of the Present

Chapter 4: A Painful Past

All day it had been quiet, too quiet. About 6 hours ago (9:30), Kagome had told Inu Yasha to go take a bath. He was still covered in mud when he came into the house and was getting it *everywhere*! Kagome has been sitting at her desk for the past fifteen minutes waiting for noise, noise of any kind. Her mother hadn't said anything about the mud, meaning that she either hadn't found it yet or doesn't care. Wait, wasn't it past time for lunch?

Kagome sighs, Staring at the wall is boring. I can't concentrate at all. I wonder where Inu Yasha went; it's too quiet. He wouldn't have gone back without me... would he? She leans back in her rolling chair, being careful not to put too much pressure on the back, lest she falls over. Well, at least if I fell over maybe he'd be there to catch me. Sitting back up, she leans her elbow on her windowsill and looks outside. The sun is still shining, the wind still blowing a gentle, cool breeze. It's not too hot, nor too cold; the sky is blue and the birds are chirping. It's so... unnatural.

Slowly she gets up, checks the time again and goes downstairs to see what's going on. She passes a series of pictures along the way, stopping to look them over only briefly before continuing her descent down the stairs. Hmm... the Sakura festival, mom with Souta and me, that time when I caught Inu Yasha off-guard, surely *THAT'S* a rare moment worth capturing... She giggles softly, remembering how startled he'd been when he heard the slight click as his picture was taken. He probably would've beaten the camera to a pulp if she hadn't explained what it was. Of course, he just "Keh"ed and looked away. I wonder if he'll ever care... Slowly, she stops. Looking at the last picture on the wall, small tears begin to form in her eyes, "Daddy... "

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Inu Yasha walks into the house and enjoys a big canine yawn. He stretches slightly, raising his arms above his head and, opening one eye at a time, sees Kagome staring at a picture on the wall. 

"Kagome?"

She didn't hear him. As he watched, a single tear fell from her eye, then another, and then another. He stood there, watching her cry, oh how he hated to see her cry! But why was she crying? Was it something he did? No, it couldn't have been, he'd been playing with Buyou all morning purposely trying *not* to bother her. He hadn't even gone up when lunch was ready, for fear that she'd get mad at him. Was that why she was crying, because he didn't come get her? Had he been gone too long?

Slowly, he approached her and his heart sank in his chest. The silent tears continued to flow as she stared up towards a single picture, her father. He almost wished it *had* been him.

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Kagome spun as a hand was gently placed on her shoulder. Inu Yasha was standing behind her, a worried look on his face. She sniffled and quickly tried to wipe away the tears, but he caught her hand.

"Kagome... are... are you okay?," he asked, his thumb gently wiping away her tears.

She stared, dumbfounded, Is he actually worried about me? Her heart melted and she found herself buried in his arms, much to his surprise. 

" I miss him Inu Yasha, but I don't even remember him..." She sniffled. An arm carefully wrapped itself around hr waist. "When will it go away?"

"It doesn't Kagome." It was all he could say. He knew how hard it was to lose a father, and how hard it was to miss him, even when you don't remember much... His arms tightened around her waist and she curled up against his chest, gently gripping the fabric of his shirt. After a few minutes, she sniffled. She had stopped crying by then, but she didn't want to let go. He's so comfortable. I wish this never had to end. He's so warm...

Much to Kagome's dismay, Inu Yasha stepped away from her, looking back towards the kitchen, he wiped one last tear from her face before leaving to find something to eat. 


	5. Dreams of the Past

Oohhh... a little angst, a little compassion, and a little breakfast. What else could you want at 6:12 at night?^_^; lol Well, I guess it could be morning other places in the world... anyway, yeah, this chapter went by soooo quickly! Heh, this is a lot more fun than I thought it would be.^_^

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Disclaimer: I don't own Inuyasha or any of the characters in it. If I did I'd be rich, but I'm not...and if I had lots of money I'd probably spend it on anime anyway so pleeaasseee, don't sue me.^_^ lol

Oh, and as always,

_= thoughts *_* = sound/ italicized "_" = speech//_// = narration

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Memories of the Present

Chapter 5: Dreams of the Past

Damnit! Is that all I could say?

Inu Yasha slowly made his way towards the kitchen. He wasn't really hungry, especially not now. His mind was plagued with thoughts of his father, the pain of not knowing him, and even more with the horrible truth that Kagome was plagued with them too. How had not noticed?! There was always her mother, brother, grandfather, but never her father. That's just the way it was. 

No, that's not true. Inu Yasha mused sadly, I noticed, I just didn't want to bring it up. He absently opens the refrigerator, looking around at nothing in particular, Why couldn't I say anything else? Why couldn't I just stay there and comfort her, hold her? What's so hard, so wrong about that?! 

'Nothing,' his mind said, 'There's nothing wrong with that, but you're afraid. You're afraid of what might happen if you let her get too close.' 

Shut up. 

'Heh, you think I'll go away that easily? I'm a part of you; I can't leave. Look at her. She had stopped crying, stopped because you were there. Then you left her without a word, and now...'

Inu Yasha looks back to where Kagome had been standing, Shut up, I didn't leave her. Besides, she's not even there. He went back to rummaging through the refrigerator.

'Why does that phrase hurt you so much? I thought you were trying to convince yourself that you don't love her.'

...

'Where do you think she went? How would you feel if the one you love walked off without so much as a...'

SHUT UP!!! You don't know what you're talking about! ...she... doesn't love me...

'If you truly believe that, then you're a bigger idiot than I thought you were, and that's saying a lot considering I'm a part of you.'

And with that, the voice was gone.

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The rest of the night was pretty uneventful in both worlds. Kagome spent the rest of her time doing homework while Inu Yasha played with Souta. Everyone could feel the sadness and tension that seemed to follow the two that day, but no one thought to mention anything. Kagome slept in her bed that night, Inu Yasha keeping guard at the foot. He stayed awake for most of the night, as usual, but tonight was not spent with daydreams of Kagome; no, it was spent looking, looking through an old photo album under her bed, and watching her toss in her sleep. She seemed to be having a nightmare and, at one point, he even lay down beside her to try and lull her back into peaceful dreams. But even he couldn't enjoy that night. Even on her bed, arms wrapped around her, something was wrong. 

Her scent wafted over him, calming his senses, but still, he could not sleep. Even with all of the 'sit's he would undoubtedly receive in the morning, he wanted to lay with her, if only for that night. It felt as if it was the last night he'd ever spend with her.

Morning came and Inu Yasha rolled over. Kagome had gotten up already, but... he was still on the bed? He looked around slowly; the alarm clock hadn't gone off. If it had he surely would've woken up. He got up, stretched, and wondered just when he had fallen asleep. Opening the door, he walked out into the hall and checked all of the other rooms. Kagome's was empty of course. Souta and Mrs. Higurashi were in their rooms sleeping peacefully; so where was Kagome?

Inu Yasha walked down stairs and, smelling something in the kitchen, went to look. Kagome was there, cooking something that smelled almost as good as she did. He smiled, relieved hat she was safe, but suddenly wondered why it had taken him so long to smell anything. He was practically in front of the door before he... oh no.

I'm human!!!

There it was, reflected in the darkened window. His hair was now black, almost as dark as Kagome's. His eyes were a deep shade of violet and his ears were, well, not on top of his head. 

Well, at least the night is almost over. I slept it away.

Then she turned and looked at him; "Good morning Inu Yasha," she smiled at him brightly, "I didn't wake you up did I?"

He was surprised. No 'sit'? No 'why the hell were you on my bed you pervert'? Nothing but that smile, not that he was complaining; he always melted at that smile. Kagome, I'm sorry, I should've said more. I wanted to hold you, comfort you... 

"What'cha making?" Well, at least it was something, and not an insulting something to boot.

"Breakfast." She said, turning back to the stove, "I... I couldn't sleep, had a bad dream. I... I thought it would be nice to have breakfast on the table by the time everyone got up."

He just nodded, not wanting to press it. " What kind of dream?"

She stiffened, noticeably. " I... it... it's nothing, really."

"Was it about your father?"

Another stop, another stiffening. "Kagome?"

She sighed, turned off the burner and scooped some yellow stuff onto a plate. "Come on, help me set the table, and then we can go back to bed and talk."

His face flushed crimson, Did she say *WE* can go back to bed?! Heart racing in his chest, he tried not to show that anything was different. He let out a small "Feh" and helped her set the table. They put weird shiny silver stuff over all of the food and put it in the oven. Kagome said that it was to keep everything hot until it was time for breakfast. Apparently, it wouldn't be long.

The walls were spinning, that sinking feeling he had had was lessening, but not by much. He obediently followed Kagome to her room. Closing the door behind them, she got in bed and rolled to face Inu Yasha. He blushed, looked at her, and sat down next to her.

"So... are you going to tell me what the dream was about?"

She winced. Burying her face in her pillow, she sighed. Knowing he could still understand her, she said, "I guess I sort of promised didn't I?"

He nodded and she began.


	6. Crimson Crystals

Oooohhh, LOTS of angst in this one... and a little bit o' violence.^_^; Man, what a dream. Poor girl. Oh, and I know where you think this story is going, but you're wrong. You are so wrong. Muahahahahaha! Heh, just kidding.^_~

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Disclaimer: I don't own Inuyasha or any of the characters in it. If I did I'd be rich, but I'm not... and if I had lots of money I'd probably spend it on anime anyway so pleeaasseee, don't sue me.^_^ lol

Oh, and as always,

_= thoughts *_* = sound/ italicized "_" = speech//_// = narration

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Memories of the Present

Chapter 6: Crimson Crystals

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// I remember the dream, even now it won't leave my mind. It was dark, so very dark. I guess it was night time because I could see the street lights in the distance. I was little, around five I think. I had just gotten back from somewhere, I don't know where. My father, he was right next to me. I was happily singing and skipping along, holding his hand. I couldn't see his face, but I knew it was him. I remember him smiling at me, laughing as I skipped. He had no idea of what was to come. //

"My father stopped to look at something in the window," Kagome went on, Inu Yasha listening patiently beside her, "He had seemed so facinated. It was a jewelery shop I think. That would make sense considering that he died just before my parent's anniversary. I hadn't even noticed that he wasn't next to me anymore until it was too late. Glass shattered; I stopped and turned around, dropping the lollipop I had been licking. Three men, all in black, they had smashed the window. Alarms were going off, I... I was scared."

She looked, from the pillow, over at him, as if asking if she should continue. He smiled slightly, not a happy smile, more a worried one, and nodded encouragingly.

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// Looking back, I think it was more of an interested smile really... interest and caring…//

" My father, he... he tried to stop them. They hit him with something, something big, metal... a crowbar maybe..." She paused, as if in thought, head back down on the pillow, "He fell and they ran inside. I ran to him; I didn't know what was going on but Daddy...Daddy was hurt." A trail of tears slowly dipped down her face. She closed her eyes, but refused to stop.

"He was bleeding, but he was alive. I could see him; he opened his eyes and smiled at me. I thought everything was going to be okay; Daddy was okay. When the men came back, they had bags under heir arms. I guess they robbed the place after all. The sirens were still going, the alarms still ringing, but I could still hear his cries... I could still hear..." She began to sob. Quickly, Inu Yasha took her into his arms, holding her tightly. He remembered how, when he was little, his mom would rock him to calm him down. Slowly, gently, he rocked her until her tears were gone, but this time, he didn't let go. 

She sniffled, snuggled closer to him, and looked down. "Thank you."

He smiled sadly and nodded, as if waiting for her to speak again. She got the cue. " They, they hit him again. I couldn't see it because he was in front of me. I remember, every time they reached, reached for me, Daddy would block them and get hit." She started crying again, " They beat him because he wouldn't let them take me. Then, something happened. I was crying, holding my father from behind. I had been screaming, asking what was happening, asking what they were doing to him. I didn't understand... I was too little to understand." He held her a little tighter.

// Then something had happened, yes. I remember the look on his face when I told him. They had hit my father, they had hit him in the head. I could see the blood, crimson crystals falling, as if in slow motion, shining, reflecting. Those crystals, they saw everything...//

" Then there was red. It wasn't the blood, it was... clothing. I was bent over Daddy, crying. When I looked up, it was quiet. There was someone staring... someone familiar. They walked over to him. I screamed, told them to leave my daddy alone, but they just smiled at me. They took me in their arms and told me that everything was going to be okay. Everything was going to be okay... I stopped, watched as they looked him over. The stranger shook his head sadly. It was too late. I cried and I cried. He took me away. I didn't know where we were going, but I didn't care. I knew I'd never see my father again."

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// We had stopped in a park, one I now recognize as being close to here. I used to walk through it when I was little, it always comforted me somehow. They set me down on their lap and hugged me. I felt safe, warm. I didn't know why, but I did. I trusted them. When I looked up, I thought the sun had come out. I slowly realized that I was staring, not into a light, but into an eye.//

" An eye... " She looked up, "It was you Inu Yasha. You had saved me...again." She smiled weakly and began to cry. He watched her, tears threatening to fall from even his eyes, but he furiously tried to blink them back. He nuzzled his face deeply into her hair as she trembled against him. After a few minutes, she had regained enough composure to continue.

"It was you...," she whispered. " You held me, like you are now. You wrapped your arms around me tightly, and whispered into my ear. You said, ' I promised that I would always protect you. I meant it then, and I mean it now. I know you won't remember this, but I'm sorry. I'm sorry I didn't come in time to save him too.'"

She couldn't hold her tears back any longer. Kagome grabbed onto his shirt as if it were a lifeline. She pulled herself as close to him as physically possible and she cried, and cried. For the rest of that morning Inu Yasha sat there. He rocked her gently until she had cried herself to sleep and continued until, he too, fell into a deep slumber.

It was only a dream...


	7. A Shippou we will go

Lol okay, first off, I'm going to put these chapters back to the way they were originally meant to be, italicized! Lol Well, only the flash backs will be... if there ARE anymore flashbacks. *shrugs* I don't rightly know, but anyway, I'm changing things to the way that they look in my word document. I've finally figured out how to do it!^_^ *giggles* yay!

And thanks Kelly, you've been so great!^-^

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Disclaimer: I don't own Inuyasha or any of the characters in it. If I did I'd be rich, but I'm not... and if I had lots of money I'd probably spend it on anime anyway so pleeaasseee, don't sue me.^_^ lol

Oh, and as always,

_= thoughts *_* = sound/ italicized "_" = speech//_// = narration

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Memories of the Present

Chapter 7: A Shippou we will go.

"Inu Yasha, sit! You should be nicer to Shippou! He's sweet and kind and smart and a whole lot nicer than you ya big jerk!" Shippou chuckled smugly, Yeah, that's what she'd say if she were here.

In a field a mile or so from Kaede's village, a certain little kitsune was trying desperately to rid himself of a horrible disease, one we like to call boredom. He turns around, sniffs the air, and transforms into random things, eventually settling on the form of his favorite companion, the one he has lovingly adopted as mother and sister.

"Heh, this sure is fun! Too bad Inu Yasha isn't around to test it on. I really need to practice being Kagome so that I can *REALLY* piss him off text time! It's so boring around here." Running across the field, he raises an accusing finger at the first tree he comes across yelling, "Sit!". A few birds scamper out of the nearby woods they had inhabited. They were very familiar to the land and know what happens when his particular girl says that particular word. Much to their surprise, there were neither thuds nor curses and everything seemed relatively normal, well, except for the girl standing and pointing at the random tree.

This isn't going to work. I need something else to do. Maybe Kaede will give me a spell book so I can practice some more! Hmmm... no, it's not enough.

Shippou returns to the other side of the field in defeat. He looks to the sky, then to the wild flowers buried deep within the grass. The beautiful purple and greens remind him of the latest journey they had had. There was this large lizard thing hugging everyone. It was scary. He sprawls out upon the silken strands contemplating what he should do. Sango was out looking for rumors in a nearby village and Miroku was getting herbs with Kaede. "Who knew he kept a stock of herbs with him for emergencies." Shippou shrugs. Besides, Sango wouldn't let him go with her. His last stunt had seen to that and he was getting a very odd form of punishment, the deprivation of Sango's presence. Rolling onto his back, his eyes fall upon the familiar shapes of ivory puff floating in the sky. 

"Cat... dog... boat... lizard youkai..." Taking out the crayons Kagome had given him, Shippou pulls out a piece of paper and starts coloring. She had given him the crayons after he had given his to the last survivor of the Thunder clan in a gesture to stop the violence and pain. The girl had been pretty nice and was pretty strong as well. Not only that, but she was a good artist and could pop out a picture as quickly as he could. Kagome seemed so happy with him when he decided that it was better to just walk away.

'That was very big of you Shippou'---'Keh, stop acting so big!' **POW!*--- ' Inu Yaaasha...'

"Sit!," he laughs, " No wonder Kagome says that so much. What an idiot." Looking back at his crayons, he realizes that they're already almost worn out. He briefly wonders if she would bring him more, and then looks down towards the picture he'd been drawing. The sky was ablaze with pinks and purples, mainly because he was out of blue. There were some flowers and a rainbow, and a little... red splotch? Looking under his paper, he notices the many berries beneath him. The birds must have dropped them when they flew away, he thought. Just then, he had an idea.

"I know what I can do! Oh, this'll be so much fun!!!"

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"Miroku, have you seen Shippou at all today?"

Looking up from his herb collecting, the monk notices that not only had Kaede disappeared, but Sango is now standing in front of him, a pleasant smile grazing her already stunning features.

"No, but Sango-chan, why are you here? I thought I was being pun... you were searching for shard rumors."

Sango smiles and puts Hiraikotsu down beside her. Resting gently against an old, withered tree, she looks past Miroku and into the shallow depths of the stream running just past them. Her eyes slowly follow a group of insects gently playing on the water's surface. It was really a beautiful day.

"I didn't find anything and it's so pretty out today, I thought we could spend it relaxing for once. Especially with no Inu Yasha around to drag us on another hunt."

Miroku smiles and nods at this. Standing besides Sango, he too begins to stare at the water's visitors imagining finding a lake and going for a swim himself. When several moments pass, he looks to Sango only to find a very confused and slightly awed expression on her face.

"Sango-chan, what's wrong?"

She turns, blushing slightly, "It's just, I'm not used to being in such a beautiful place without you trying something perverted." Or anywhere without you trying something perverted for that fact.

A shocked expression appears on the houshi's face, but leaves as quickly as it had come, replaced by one of understanding and affection. "Oh Sango, all you had to do was ask..." With that cute, quirky, lop-sided grin of his, he reaches out to touch her breast. He cringes slightly, waiting for the blow to come, but instead, she moves a little closer and blushes. Taking her into his arms, he makes a pass at her rear, but is intercepted. Internally, he squeals with joy when she cuddles more closely against him, placing his, now wandering, hand on her thigh.

Oh Buddha, if I'm dreaming PLLEEAASSEEE don't let me wake up...

She rests her head gently against the crook of his neck and whispers, "Miroku-kun?"

Miroku-KUN?! Immediately he can feel the heat radiating off of her, sending his mind even further into that black abyss and his face into an even darker shade of red. He sighs, smirks, and lets out a muffled gasp as she reaches over, gently cupping her hands behind his head and pulling his face closer to hers. She kisses him softly, sending sweet shivers up his spine. But even through all of this, all he can think is, Wow, Sango seems a bit more furry than I thought she would be.

"HOOUUSSHHIII!!!!!!"

Uh oh... 

Looking over Sango's shoulder, he sees another Sango standing behind her. She's tapping her foot with a *VERY* annoyed look on her face.

"And WHAT, exactly, are you doing?"

Miroku stutters, stunned beyond all capable words or thought, "Um...I can explain..."

"How could you to that to poor Shippou?!"

"**SHIPPOU?!** " As Miroku gawks unbelievingly at the little beauty in his arms, the gorgeous woman with whom he had just shared a sensual kiss, Sango rushes up and swiftly picks her up. The first Sango, form rippling with some odd form of illusion, squeals and curls up against Sango with all of the strength his furry little body can muster.

"Sango, he *made* me!" 

"I know Shippou."

"**SHIPPOU?!** "

Glaring at the houshi, Sango scoldingly shakes her finger, "How COULD you? This is low even for you!"

"But... but I didn't! I swear!"

"Come on, wouldn't you have been able to tell by the tail?" Not like he doesn't grab there enough "And, for that matter, why me?!"

"Oh... well... I, uh... that is to say..." He sighs, beaten, " I should've known when she called me Miroku instead of Houshi-sama... or Miroku-kun."

"Since *WHEN* have I *EVER* called you Miroku-kun?"

He snarls slightly, truly hurt by her words. "Ask him.," he mumbles.

Sango cocks her head slightly as she watches Miroku cringe and wait. The look of disappointment and pain that crossed his face hadn't escaped her, and she knew that even he wasn't so low as to trick a poor little kitsune into... well, she didn't want to know what they were doing. When the blow never came, Miroku looked up slowly, afraid of the sight he may see.

Hiraikotsu had disappeared from the side of the stream, but Sango picked hers up and had been steadily walking away when Miroku decided to join her. She still held Shippou and hadn't said anything to Miroku.

Is she *really* that mad at me? Man, this is going to be worse than not being able to accompany her to the village. He thought disgruntled.

When they got to Kaede's, Sango told him to go into the hut and that she'd deal with him in a minute. Hesitantly, he obeyed and Sango left with Shippou. When she came back, she walked over, sat next to the pouting monk, and kissed him on the cheek gently. 

Giggling slightly at his reaction, she says, "No Miroku, it's me."

Looking at her suspiciously, he asks, "Then why did you kiss me and why did you call me Miroku?"

She smiles and sighs, "I was wrong to accuse you. I thought I at least owed you that much."

Still disbelieving, Sango sighs and says, "Okay, you know how Shippou always has a tail when he transforms?" She reaches out and grabs his hand gently, holding it a minute before she replies, "This is a one time thing houshi. Any time you do this afterwards, you'll get smacked so hard..." With a slight cringe and a confused nod, Sango put his hand on her rear.

"See, no tail."

He smiles and pulls his hand away gently, "Thank you Sango-chan." With a slight grin, he takes her hand n his own, kissing the knuckles once, and putting it back on her lap. He holds it for a second longer watching as Sango hurriedly turns away and blushes before getting up and heading to the door. Turning around he asks, "Hey Sango?"

*Yes houshi-sama?"

"What *DID* you do with Shippou?"

She smirks, "Oh, I don't think you'll have to worry about that much." And with a soft laugh she rises and heads through the bamboo covering on the door, pushes it aside for Miroku, and then heads off in search of more rumors, a lovesick monk on her heels.

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"Hey, guys? Sango, Miroku? Hey, come onnnn! This isn't funny; I was only playing! Come on Kirara, let me go. Pleeeaasseee??? Kaaagooomeeeeee!!!!!"


	8. Fluffy and the Rebirth

First off, to all of the people hat have commented... THANK YOOOUUU!!!^_^ *giggles and hugs all* Hmmm…you know, maybe I should take requests…anyway, thanks everyone!^_^ Now, on today's menu we have Sesshoumaru goodness, a little bit of annoying friends, and a reanimated frog. *Nods* that sounds about right.^_^ Sorry if this one sounds a little off. I'm tired for some unknown reason and had to rush this a bit.^_^; Okay, on with the chapter!

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Disclaimer: I don't own Inuyasha or any of the characters in it. If I did I'd be rich, but I'm not... and if I had lots of money I'd probably spend it on anime anyway so pleeaasseee, don't sue me.^_^ lol

Oh, and as always,

_= thoughts *_* = sound/ italicized "_" = speech//_// = narration

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Memories of the Present

Chapter 8: Fluffy and the Rebirth

"Sesshoumaru-sama?"

"*sighs* Yes Rin?"

"Why are you rubbing your head like that?"

It had been three days of nothing but questions. The demon lord, his servant, and the little human girl had been traveling towards another village for reasons only he knew. Rin hadn't stopped asking questions since they had left the last town. "Where do babies come from?" That had to have been the most... interesting question to answer yet. Thank goodness a villager had overheard her ask and had told her some ridiculous story about some odd, giant bird or something. Sesshoumaru didn't really care. He wanted to focus on the task at hand, the peacefulness and tranquillity of the forest, and the sounds of the stream rushing past them as it made its own particular journey through life. Unfortunately, these sounds seemed to be drowned out quite easily by the curious little girl and, quite frankly, Sesshoumaru was getting a headache.

How could I, Sesshoumaru, Lord of the Western Lands, even for a MINUTE think having a human girl would be a good idea?!

"Here Sesshoumaru-sama" The slight sound of fabric tearing can be heard and the little girl smiles brightly at her youkai savior.

Reluctantly, Sesshoumaru looks back to inspect what ever she had the mind to offer to him. In her hand there lay a small scrap of cloth, probably pulled from her kimono. The cloth was soaked with cold water from the stream that they had been passing for the last three days. No doubt it was supposed to help him with his headache.

"Will this help?"

Sesshoumaru drops his fingers from his temples. Well, looks like I'll have to get her a new kimono as well. Humans take to much maintenance. A slight tug warns the youkai that if this keeps up, his emotionless mask may soon be broken. It really would not do to smile. Numbly, he turns to take the scrap of cloth and is about to "thank" Rin when Jaken steps in.

"Stupid girl. Sesshoumaru-sama is a demon, he doesn't need little things like that!" 

And with that, the staff of heads whips around, knocking Rin's hand and sending the scrap, slowly it seems, to meet a very muddy death on the cold, hard ground. Rin looks up to Jaken, then to the demon lord himself, eyes brimmed with tears. Jaken had ruined her gift to Sesshoumaru-sama! Now he'd have a headache! Stupid Jaken! She begins to cry.

Enraged, Sesshoumaru picks up the staff and thwacks Jaken over the head with it before frantically racking his brain for a way out of this mess. Surely he, the strongest demon since the previous lord of the Western Lands, could figure out a solution to a simple predicament like this.

Okay Sesshoumaru, think. You have three choices. 

A.Carry Rin to the nearest village and have Jaken walk there alone. It would take him at least a 

week to reach it and she wouldn't be crying, but then you'd be stuck watching her. Not only 

that, you would risk being seen as caring.

B.Feed Jaken to An and Un.

C.Run for your life.

Hmmm... C sounds pretty good, NO! A demon Lord does not run from battle! Oh Buddha, she's still crying! Think, think! An and Un would probably get indigestion from eating the toad... thing. That would probably upset her more. What *IS* he anyway?! Come on, come on! He sighs and bows his head slightly, I am *SO* going to regret this.

In one smooth motion, Sesshoumaru gracefully sweeps Rin into his arms, the girl knocking Jaken into the stream in the process. "Meet us at the next village Jaken!" He snarls at the surprised servant and bounds off through the forest, throwing the staff into the crystal clear water next to its wielder. What has this child done to me?!

"Sesshoumaru-sama?" Rin sniffles slightly, wiping tears from her eyes.

Still looking forward, his tone softens slightly, a feat never before seen by... well, anyone really, "Yes Rin?"

She smiles softly and wraps her arms around his neck in a light embrace. "Thank you." 

A look of utter and complete shock quickly takes revenge upon the emotionless form before fleeing hastily in retreat. It would regroup and attack again later. No, it really would not do to smile.

"Can I call you Fluffy?"

"**WHAT?!**" *SMACK! CRACK!* 

Ooohhh... he took out that tree pretty quickly, even for a demon. Letting your mind wander while running through a dense forest is *NEVER* a good idea folks.

"Sesshoumaru-sama, do you need another cloth?"

Yes, this was going to prove to be a VERY long day indeed.

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"Miss Higurashi! Is there something more important you would rather be doing?"

Of course, like I want to sit in a class when I have no clue about what's going on. She shakes her head violently, silently praying for a release from her daydreams. The previous owners of her attention gone, she turns to her math teacher, smiles apologetically, and says, "No sir." The class resumes.

AAArrgg, why can't I pay attention? Well, I know *WHY* I can't pay attention, but still! Why can't I go two seconds without thinking of the big lug... though... I can think of worse ways to wake up than in the arms of the person you love. It seems the thoughts had not gone; no, they never really did, nor could they. Hopelessly lost in thought, her attention once more trails to world outside of her boring math class. It's not like she was missing anything mind you, she was totally lost to begin with. The day had strangely resembled this lecture. It had droned on and on, holding absolutely nothing close to interesting, mind the events this morning. She had almost been late to school, but Inu Yasha had gotten her there on time... again. What would she do without him? The scary thing is, I don't know. The bell rings and Kagome begins to trudge to her next class. 

"Kagome! Kagome!" Ahhh, here they come.

"Come on Kagome, I'll walk to class with you!" An energetic girl rushes to the side of her friend. Ayumi seemed to be in an especially good mood today. She was a sweet girl, the only one of Kagome's friends that seemed to be a romantic. She wore the same uniform they all did, white shirt with green sleeves and top, both with a white line through it, and a green skirt. Ayumi also had the same black hair, but hers was wavy and the sides brought back behind her ears. Beaming, she looks to Kagome and, giggling, asks, "So how's that sweet boyfriend of yours?" (I love her, can't you tell?^_~)

"You mean the jealous, violent one?" Eri was of about the same age. She had the same uniform and the same black hair, but hers was straight and cut off just above her shoulders. It swayed gently as she walked, a yellow headband keeping it from exerting too much movement. If you didn't know any better, you might think that it was sheepish about being mussed.

"Kagome, I don't see why you're still with him. Has he properly confessed his love to you yet?" Yuuka sighs. The third of the three doesn't understand why she won't just go out with Hojo. Apparently, Kagome's boyfriend is bad news, so why is she with him? She's going to have a lot of troubles in her life...

"Come on guys, he's not really my... oh, the bell!" Kagome grabs her friends and starts running down the halls, "Come on, we're going to be late!"

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"Kagome," Yuuka whispered across the lab table, "why were you in such a big hurry to get to class? I mean, I didn't think this would be your favorite thing to do."

"What are you talking abo..."

"Okay class, today is the day some of you have been waiting for... and everyone else has been dreading."

Uh oh. Please no test, please no test, please no test, please no test, PPLLEEAAASSSEE no...

"No, there will be no test today..."

PHEW!  
  
"because, as you all know, today is the day that we'll be dissecting frogs."

"AAIIIEEE!!!!" The shriek echoed throughout the hall as all of the doors in the corridor opened, students trying desperately to peek and see what was going on... and to get a good excuse to waste class time.

"AHEM! If you are done Miss Higurashi." The entire room snickered. "As I was saying, we will be dissecting frogs. One of the first things you will need to find is whether your frog is male or female. If the frog is female, you will need to determine if she was pregnant. If she was, you are one of the few students lucky enough to get extra credit," Woohoo!," but you will only get it if the fetus is in perfect order. Otherwise your grade will be dropped." Crud. "It is important for you to note…"

Kagome sighs, This is just WAY too boring. I can stand watching a youkai being sliced to bits, but a dead frog?! EEWWW!!!! Well, at least there's no threat of shards here. If there was Inu Yasha would be in here distr... no, NO, last time you thought like that he showed up. My teachers probably wouldn't appreciate an entire wing of the school being vaporized…

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// Then came the faithful moment//

"It is now time to pick your partners!" Uh oh.

"Kagome, I'll be your partner." Phew.

Kagome laughs softly. Relieved, she hugs her friend and they both migrate to another lab table. "Thanks Eri, I was almost worried there for a second."

"No problem, what are friends for?"

"Oooohhh, Kagome, what are these? They're so pretty!" Unbeknownst to the girls, Ayumi had partnered with Yuuka and they were both sitting at the lab table next to theirs. Ayumi had accidentally knocked over Kagome's backpack and had tried to put everything back, but one item had caught her attention, a small glass jar with little rose colored jewels in it.

Oh no! I had forgotten those were in there! Why were they in there again?

// Here we go:

"Inuuu Yaaashaaa…what're you doing?"

"mm... nothing."

"Um hmmm... why are you in my desk?"

"Ummm...well... it's not my fault you can't hang onto the shards!"

"WHAT?! Where'd they go?!"

"See Inu-noneechan, I told you I knew where they were!"

"Souta?! Get back here with those; they're dangerous!"

"Ooohhh, they're so pretty!"

"Hey, Mom, give those back!"

"Give those back to *ME* you mean!"

"But honey, don't these belong to Inu Yasha? Here you go."

"Uh oh, duck for cover!"

"What?"

"Inu Yashaaa!!!"

*gulp*

"SIT!!!"

That's why.//

"Um... Ayumi, I really need those."

"Huh? Okay, sorry. They're just so beautiful!"

"Yeah, I know, but I really need those back now."

"Okay, here you go." A feeling of relief encompasses Kagome as the shards are brought back into her possession. Those things really can be a lot of trouble.

"Hey Kagome, look at our frog!" Kagome turns just in time to get a really nasty whiff of frog. " I think it's a girl. What do you think?"

"AIIIEEE!!!!!" 

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//Uh oh, there goes the frog...//

"Kagome, the frog!"

"Kagome, you dropped your..."

"The shards!!!" Shard detector she may be, but frog catcher she is not! There's no need to think about this one; Kagome dives for the shards. Thrusting out the small glass container, she catches three right off. The next couple she picks up off of the ground and she claims one from Ayumi's hand. After thoroughly counting them, her face becomes deathly pale. One is missing.

Oh my god! Where did it go?! Inu Yasha is going to be so pissed! Yeah, I can just hear it no..."

"Kagome, it... IT MOVED!!!" All of the girls in the class begin screaming at once. The frog that previously lay on Eri and Kagome's tray was now hopping about the classroom in a desperate fight for survival in an unknown place. It moved so quickly that one would think it a specter, probably the shard's doing. Wait... the shard? Oh no.

"AAIIEEE!!!!!" The room was in chaos! The boys were laughing, the girls screaming, the frog rushing around in a state of utter and complete panic. The teacher was engaged in a fruitless struggle to bring order back to the classroom and Kagome was in the middle of it all, trying to figure out what was going on. She was brought back to reality when a notebook whizzed by and a textbook landed on her foot. She jumped, yelping in pain as a desk was over turned behind her and people began running out of the room. The mob at the door had barely pushed it open a crack before realizing that outside, there were just as many students trying to get in to figure out what was going on as there were trying to escape. The frog raced along, a green blur in a sea of green, white, and black. It landed on one boy in the group and everyone bolted for the other side of the room. The boy screamed. In an act of adrenaline, he grabbed the frog, practically squeezing it to death, when a faint popping sound could be heard. It was silent, but only for a moment. Apparently, Kagome might've gotten a bit of extra credit if the circumstances had been different.

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"Are you thirsty Rin?"

"Yes Fluffy." Snickers are heard all around the village.

"A ***VERY*** long day..."


	9. A Forgotten Lunch and the Long Lost Appe...

Well, since I didn't end up posting this last night, maybe I'll update this now and see if I can manage another one later today.^_^ *giggles* yay! Okay, so from here it'll be another couple of serious, dramatic, angsty chapters, then maybe a few fun ones, and then the cycle will continue.^_~ Muahahaha! I like to break things up a bit.^_~ Anyway, hope you like!^_^ Enjoy!

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Disclaimer: I don't own Inuyasha or any of the characters in it. If I did I'd be rich, but I'm not... and if I had lots of money I'd probably spend it on anime anyway so pleeaasseee, don't sue me.^_^ lol

Oh, and as always,

_= thoughts *_* = sound/ italicized "_" = speech//_// = narration

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Memories of the Present

Chapter 9: A Forgotten Lunch and the Long Lost Appetite

"It... it... it..."

"... was pregnant?!" Kagome stared, dumbfounded, as tiny ball shot out from in between the boy's fingers. It hit the wall next to the window and landed only an inch away from Eri's nose. She looked at the small, pulsing glob, and immediately fainted. The girls all rushed over to Eri's side and managed to rouse the unconscious girl while the rest of the students were cowering on the other side of the room.

"Eri, are you okay?"

"Come on, I'll help you sit up."

"How are you feeling?"

"It... it... it..." Eri was pointing randomly at the wall

"It's okay Eri, it's gone," Kagome soothed, but Eri kept pointing and stuttering. She looked to the other girls, but they were staring as well; she looked to the class, and they were all doing the same.

I just *KNOW* I'm going to regret this later... And with a sigh, Kagome shot a quick glance towards the wall that everyone was staring at. The little green blob was now missing from the lab table, apparently making its way to the fish tank on the opposite side of the room with its... legs?! Since when did the blob have legs?! 

She looked around frantically, "Oh no... why me?" She could see no Shikon shard in the... blob... but in the frog, that was an entirely different matter. Kagome rushed to the boy who was still holding the frog, as panicked expression fluttered across his face. The frog tried to flee. It hopped swiftly towards the blob, but before it could get there, the boy reached out and grabbed frantically at it. It slipped and squirmed and broke free, bounding quickly towards the blob that was no longer a blob. Mr. Blobby, as Kagome had so lovingly dubbed it, now had legs, fore and back legs actually. It had a head; it had eyes, and it had... a *smirk*?!

Front of the room to back, side to side, table to table it hopped, scaring the living daylights out of anyone who came near it. Mr. Blobby was seriously scary. He was blood red, but had an immaculate pattern of black markings, greatly resembling that of an ornate rose painting. His pupils were bright blue, but had no eyes to rest on. They just hovered in their sockets, gleaming mischievously as Mr. Blobby caused havoc all around it. 

The push and shove battle was continuing outside. Everyone wanted to get in and see what was going on. All they could hear were shrieks and screams and, considering that they were coming from a science classroom, it sounded pretty interesting. Inside, with all of the students abandoning their posts at the door to avoid the rabid, reanimated frog and Mr. Blobby, the door was easily swung open and just happened to have struck a very excited red frog on the head. Purple sprayed everywhere, coating everything with a thick goo. The musk from this creature was so strong that when the windows refused to open, students threw things at it attempting to either get it unstuck or break it. Either way the smell could escape. Meanwhile, the frog was in mourning over the loss of its baby. A shrill cry was heard and all of the doors locked. The windows, glass now full of holes where the students had thrown things, was still covered in that purple goo which was now spreading to cover the entire window. It glowed red as the frog leapt into a student's hair, the girl screaming and tearing desperately at her flesh. Suddenly, the frog was in a container, the windows uncovered, and the door unlocked. Well, actually, it was broken down, but you get the idea.

The following silence was almost more terrifying than Mr. Blobby had been. Each student looked from one to another, and then to the teacher. The professor was lost. He slid out from the safety of the hiding place beneath his desk and raised a weary finger. Trembling, he said the first thing they had heard in the last five minutes, "You are all excused for the rest of the day." And with that, he collapsed into an unconscious heap on the black and white checkered tile floor.

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"Great," Inu Yasha mumbled, "she forgot her lunch again." 

It was only about ten thirty, or at least that's what Kagome's mother had said. The confused hanyou still hadn't figured out what that time keeping thing was, much less how it worked. Mrs. Higurashi had sent him out in hopes that he'd bring Kagome her lunch. She even packed a little extra in case he got hungry, so that he wouldn't eat half of Kagome's like he did the last time he had delivered her lunch. He was just thankful that he still remembered the way to her school. Sure, he had been there only this morning, but the city was so big! Besides, he didn't want to have to go sniffing around on the street again. There were too many people and too many scents in this time period, not to mention the horrible smog. 

Inu Yasha's ears began to quiver. What was that noise? It was getting closer, but it still wasn't close enough for him to hear it. His heart began to flutter in his chest and he silently cursed himself, thinking it was because he was about to see Kagome again, but this time something was different. He felt stiff, ready for something, but what? Screams came, echoing through his mind. One scream filtered through the others, through the deafening noise, Kagome's.

"KAGOME!"

He had gotten there just in time. The windows had been broken as he ran past them, glass shattered by various hard scrolls and brushes. A strange odor was escaping through the holes and it would've knocked the hanyou out if he hadn't had another thing to smell instead. Quickly, he grabbed Kagome's lunch and stuffed it under his nose. He tried to get around to the windows, but by that time an odd, viscous goo had covered them and was slowly engulfing them in its midst. He needed two hands for this. He took the lunch from his nose and hurriedly began to manipulate the covering of the box. He tied the cloth so that it wrapped around his head, holding firmly behind his ears. The food beneath his nose and both hands free, he rushed to the windows. He broke through them quite easily and found what was causing the trouble; a frog demon was emitting a high pitched shriek that caused the goo to react as it willed. He grabbed at the menace, losing his grip at first, but then squeezing it tightly. He shoved it into one of the open glass containers on the table, but not before ripping off its head. That sat in another container. Realizing what would happen if Kagome's friends saw him, Inu Yasha hastily retreated to the roof.

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She didn't know what happened, and she didn't want to know. Students were filing out of the classroom slowly, no one saying a word. Her friends had waited for her, but she had to get her things and they were too frightened to wait any longer. With the teacher still passed out behind his desk, it was probably safe enough to get the shard back. She reached into the jar, mildly noting that the frog's head had been torn off, and stuck her hand into the formaldehyde. She grabbed the shard and her heart leapt into her throat. Her head spun and she began to feel nauseous. The world was spinning, but that's not what was important right now; the shard took top priority. She stumbled over to her backpack and reached for the container when she felt a sickening snap. Everything went black; she was out.

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All of the students seemed to be leaving the building. They were probably let out because of the frog youkai. Inu Yasha thought sourly, "But where's Kagome?"

It had been almost twenty minutes and the miko still hadn't exited the building. Worry began to build in the dog demon's chest as he thought of that stupid demon hurting her. Why hadn't he been there? She needed him!

He leaped off of the roof and onto the tree outside of the classroom. He had left the lunch behind, but it didn't matter now; he was worried about Kagome. After checking to see if it was safe, Inu Yasha cautiously stepped into the room and saw the teacher on the ground.

This can't be good. 

Scanning the room, he couldn't see anything out of place, well, considering what had happened anyway. What *really* bothered him was that he couldn't smell anything either, the goo had seen to that. Damn it! I have to find her! He would've left to search elsewhere if not for the hand that had wearily found its way to the leg of his hakama.

"I... Inu...InuYashaa..." He whirled around. Kagome was at his feet. She was clutching onto the Shikon container with one hand and a shard with the other. He could hear her heart racing and her slight moans as pain swept throughout her body. She shivered, convulsed slightly, and collapsed, all before he could even reach out to her.

"KAGOME!" Pulling her into his arms, she seemed clammy. She was cold and looked to be deathly ill, but had no real temperature. Her skin was pale, but there was no sign of struggle, injection, nothing. How could this have happened so quickly?! He reached down, grabbed the shard and added it to the collection. Next, he grabbed her bag and, stuffing the glass jar into it, positioned her comfortably in his arms. All thoughts were stripped from his mind as he bolted out the window and began his mad dash for Kagome's shrine. She needed help and she needed it now! He didn't know where anything was in this world so he'd have to take her home and pray that they could do something.

"Kagome," he whispered, "please be okay..."


	10. The Doctor’s Visit

Ooohh…we're finally getting to the plot as of last chapter! *laughs* It took long enough eh?^_~ This chapter is more a slight filler one though. I think the second main event will happen next chapter. So yeah, I love it when Inu Yasha takes command of things.^_^ He fits a role of responsibility very well in my opinion... when it counts anyway. Thanks so much to everyone who's commented so far.^_^ Love you guys! A special thanks to acorngirl and Merith for the repeated comments and just being sweet in general.^-~*

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Disclaimer: I don't own Inuyasha or any of the characters in it. If I did I'd be rich, but I'm not... and if I had lots of money I'd probably spend it on anime anyway so pleeaasseee, don't sue me.^_^ lol

Oh, and as always,

_= thoughts *_* = sound/ italicized "_" = speech//_// = narration

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Memories of the Present

Chapter 10: The Doctor's Visit

"Inu-noneechan? W...What happened to Kagome?!" 

Inu Yasha stood carefully over Kagome, the unobstructed view of her naked form barely causing so much as a blush as he hastily tried to get her into bed. Souta gaped at the sight before him. He knew that Inu Yasha and his sister liked each other, but this?! He turned around, not noticing his sister's condition, hoping to escape before either of them saw him and tried to kill him. He didn't make it more than a step before a frantic hanyou grabbed him by the shirt and ordered him to get his mother. Confused but not faultered, he did as he was told.

An hour later, the color had returned to Kagome's cheeks, but she was still unconscious. The "dock-tor" that had come by claimed that she had no temperature so she couldn't be ill, but he was worried none-the-less. At first, the man had ordered everyone out of the room in respect for the patient's current…shall we say, condition (or state of undress.^_~), and was *more* than a little upset when this odd, silver-haired boy refused to leave. Unfortunately, there was nothing he could do about it, and, with the permission of the girl's mother, he proceeded to inspect his patient. Obviously, Inu Yasha was not pleased with this man touching his Kagome, but he figured it was for her own good. He kept a claw ready and an eye on the doctor's hands anyway. When the doctor had finished his inspection, he gave them small orange containers, not unlike that of the Shikon shard containers, only not made of glass. Inside, there were pills that they were supposed to give to Kagome when she woke up, but they all knew that it wouldn't help anything.

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Sun shone through the curtains of a room at the Higurashi residence. The soft waves gently caressing the features of a sleeping girl, flowing endlessly in a stream of light and warmth. The girl's eyes scrunch up in a small attempt to block the light, her connection to reality, before promptly turning over and trying to sleep again. Her dreamy bliss was short-lived, however, as she seemed to have a severe headache that would deny her of both sleep and patience. Her stomach rumbled, proving dominance over her other bodily functions. She rolled back over and sat up. The clock said noon; it was time for lunch.

Getting up, the girl quickly hobbles over to her closet and, at a cold touch, realizes the state she's in. Timidly, she creeps over to her door and shuts it. Where are my clothes?

Her head hurts, she knows that much. Why it hurts, she doesn't know. Why didn't she have any clothes on? Wasn't she at school? The frog! Wait, was that just a dream? Inu yasha... Inu Yasha had been there before; she knew that, but before what? Before... oh, she didn't care. Her stomach rumbled and all she wanted was to eat, take some aspirin, and go back to bed. Weakly, she wonders why it's hard to move around, why she feels so sluggish, but shakes it off as the wonderful smell of lunch on the table consumes her senses.

Still feeling shaky, she walks down the hall and decides to take the stairs one at a time. She grabs onto the guard rail as if for dear life and begins her decent. One... two... three... fo... silence.

"I...Inu Yasha?"

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Life went on unnoticed by the four people sitting at the table, each caught up in their own thoughts. The phone rang and Souta went to answer it, missing the times he and his sister had always fought over the phone. School had been canceled for them both that day. Kagome's school for obvious reasons, Souta's for a "teacher in-service" day. Apparently, both would have the day off tomorrow as well.

Inu yasha still sat at the table, mind musing over what could've happened, and trying not to think of what could still be yet to come. Maybe it was an unknown virus, maybe one from this time... or his? Was she spending too much time in Feudal Japan? Maybe it was the frog's fault. That was most likely it, but he didn't know anything of the youkai of this time. He hadn't even been sure that there *were* any more after he had killed the flesh-eating mask.

As the half demon pondered, his ears picked up a soft, "Kagome...?" and a muffled thud.

Mrs. Higurashi was alone with her father at the table.

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Kagome, she's awake?! Oh thank Kami! But wait, she should be in bed. I'm surprised she could even get up; she isn't strong enough to, unless she's feeling... KAGOME!!!

She had stumbled, tripping over her own feet. He was instantly beneath her, cradling her in a warm embrace as she fell towards him. She tried to regain her balance, tripping again and pulling the carpet out from under their feet. Instinctively, Inu Yasha rolled onto his back, Kagome suspended above him as not to be hurt. He hit every step on the way down and *knew* that he'd feel it in the morning, but Kagome was more important.

"I...Inu Yasha?"

He sighs as a wave of relief washes over his mind, but his smile quickly turned to a scowl as his eyes hardened slightly, "Stupid girl! What did you think you were doing?! You could've gotten yourself killed!"

"I... I..." She was hungry, she was dizzy, and she was falling down the stairs. What did it *LOOK* like she was doing?!

"No, I don't want to hear it! I'm taking you back upstairs, and you are going to lay in bed... and stay there!"

Kagome huffs and begins to struggle as they make their way back to her room. Though cradled against him, she resists the urge to do as he asks and in a half commanding, half pleading voice says, "Hey, forget it; I'm hungry!"

"Souta will bring you something" He hadn't even looked at her.

"But..."

"No 'but's Kagome. You will do as I say and that's the end of it." 

Eyes locked on his, she squirms slightly, trying to break their gaze, but to no avail. Looking up at his face, she sees that his eyes are stern, not with hatred or anger, but with decision. There is no getting around this; he'd already won.

"But..."

He nips her nose, "No." He glares at her shortly before walking over to her windowsill. Turning back, he says simply, "I'm going to Kaede-baba's to see what she has to say. Stay here until I come back." She nods reluctantly, and he hops into the tree outside her window. One more bound and he's in the well house, and then he's gone.

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I thought only Sesshoumaru could make that face... or be that stubborn... even if he is right. She laughs softly to herself, They *must* be related.

Sighing, Kagome sits up and stares longingly out the window. Was it her imagination, or was he actually concerned? She really needed to get him in her time more often. He always seems to be more open when he was there. Mentally she notes it, shrugs, and grudgingly turns to the pile of books on her desk.

I have time to do my studying now. A swift wave of nausea crashes down upon her, and she's flopped down on the bed again, face scrunched in a slight pain and body curled into the fetal position.

No way in hell.

Only when her mother came in did she open her eyes again. Her mother had brought her some ramen, probably Inu Yasha's unfinished lunch.

"Kagome honey, Inu Yasha never touched his ramen, and I thought you might want it. The warmth would probably be good for you."

Oh yeah, who guessed it? Wow, he didn't eat ramen? He *MUST'VE* been worried.

"Kagome honey?" Mrs. Higurashi was now waving a hand in front of her daughter's face, "Are you okay? Do you want the ramen?"

"Hmm? Oh, um, yeah, thanks."

Her mother smiles, "Sure hun, would you like some water as well?" At Kagome's hesitant nod, Mrs. Higurashi stands up, smoothes out her daughter's ebony hair, and kisses her on the forehead. (Got to love moms!^_^) Flashing a soft smile, she heads downstairs to gather a glass of water.

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"Fluffy, you're pretty."

"... "

"Fluffy-sama, where are we going?" *WHACK*

"Oowww!!! My Lord, why did you strike me?"

"NO ONE CALLS ME FLUFFY!!!" Rin whimpers, "... except Rin."

"Yay!"


	11. Kouga’s Transformation

Being sick sucks.^_^; lol Oh well, time to write more chapters! *laughs* Well, here the story may get a new rating for language, but it's not from who you'd think.^_~ It also seems that the second important event I mentioned last time isn't in this chapter, though this is an interesting one plot wise.^_^ Well, that's about it. Enjoy!

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Disclaimer: I don't own Inuyasha or any of the characters in it. If I did I'd be rich, but I'm not... and if I had lots of money I'd probably spend it on anime anyway so pleeaasseee, don't sue me.^_^ lol

Oh, and as always,

_= thoughts *_* = sound/ italicized "_" = speech//_// = narration

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Memories of the Present

Chapter 11: Kouga's Transformation

After the Shippou incident, neither Sango nor Miroku had fought, past the occasional groping of course. Instead, they seemed to be closer than ever. Lately, Sango had been allowing Miroku to accompany her when she went to look for rumors or search villages for trouble. She was beginning to find that she enjoyed her time alone with the pervert, and he was thinking the same. Of course, with the demon hunter and monk gone, Shippou was bored, but he tried to help Kaede in her daily rituals, keeping the children company when they were sick. It was about lunchtime when they all gathered together, the kitsune, demon hunter, monk, and the old miko, but none got to enjoy their lunch.

It was hard to tell if they had been seeing things, but once their eyes had adjusted to the sudden light from outside and had settled on the red blur now seated in front of them, there was only one thing to do…

"Inu Yasha, where's Kagome?," the little fox squealed as he bounced around the small hut. He had been waiting and, though only a day, he missed his adopted mother... not to mention the snacks she brought him. 

Uncharacteristically, Inu Yasha just picked the kitsune up by the tail, and set him gently down in Sango's lap. He looked straight into the old miko's eyes and said, "Kagome needs you."

If everyone was surprised by his almost gentle treatment of Shippou, they were shocked beyond reason by his voice. It was smooth, calm, and firm. If Kagome needed Kaede, something was obviously wrong, but Inu Yasha showed no signs of emotion what so ever, and, to everyone's dissatisfaction, bore a striking resemblance to his older half-brother.

Kaede looked back to her soup and nodded for Inu Yasha to continue. She held out a bowl and he shook his head. He wasn't hungry; that was bad.

After a few minutes, the miko nodded again and looked up to the hanyou. Her eyes were as his with but one exception, hers bore the look of knowledge, the comprehension of a lifetime of past experiences. "Ye think it was the frog youkai?" He nods.

"Miroku, Sango," Kaede addressed them, glancing from Inu Yasha to the dumbfounded pair in the corner, "how are the demons' activities in these parts?"

They look at each other, wide-eyed and confused. Miroku was the first to speak, "Well, actually Kaede-sama, we haven't come across any demons in all of our trips in between towns and through the forest, none that chose to bother themselves with us at least."

"It's very unusual don't ye think?" 

Sango nods, "What is it Kaede? What's happening?"

"Child, I know not, but do ye have a Shikon shard on thee?"

Sango looked at Miroku, then back to Kaede and shook her head. "No, we always give them to Kagome when we get one."

"And Kagome took them home," Inu Yasha interrupted.

"I see. Well, thou must go and find a demon with a shard then." Kaede stands up and turns her back towards them. Rubbing her chin thoughtfully, she continues, "We need a shard."

"I could go back and get one from Kagome."

"No, Inu Yasha, ye must stay. I need to have a talk with thee."

In the back of the room, Sango and Miroku rise. They walk towards the door with Shippou in tow, but stop before they reach the entranceway. 

"Shippou, you need to stay."

"But... but Inu Yasha..."

"No 'but's Shippou. You need to stay and help Kaede while the others are gone. Kagome may need you as well, and it would be harder to fight a demon with you tagging along."

"Inu Yasha," Sango frowned, "that was mean."

Miroku shakes his head, "But he is right. The fewer the better."

Shippou nods. "If it will help Kagome, I'll stay here."

Everyone smiles, well, everyone except Inu Yasha. The group head out the door with Kirara as Kaede sends Shippou to fulfill a task. The kit gone, Inu Yasha sits on the ground patiently.

"It isn't like thee to be so calm."

"Keh, what do you know that you're not telling us old woman?"

"In time Inu Yasha, in time."

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I smell him.

A lone figure prowls about the woods, stopping every few seconds to track a scent. I know he's here, but she's missing. I don't smell her.

He sniffs the air again and nods, I wonder where she is.

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"Sango, there's something following us."

"What?" She looks around. Not seeing anything, she turns back to the monk, "Are you sure?"

He nods. Suddenly, a tree crashes down to their right and, as they turn to look, a figure approaches from their left. Sango is ready for them. She pulls out Hiraikotsu and raises it, arming herself. No stupid demon is going to get them, especially when their friend needs their help. I only wish I could tell if they have a shard... Almost as on cue, the figure comes out into the open, revealing himself. "Kouga?"

He looked weak, incredibly weak. His eyes were red and seemed shallow in their sockets. His body was worn, ragged, but with no marks or bruises to signify a fight. He seemed to be having trouble holding his form as his feet began switching back and forth between human and wolf. Though tired, he looked spastic, frantic, almost feral in a way. He looked side to side, back and forth between the two and clutched his head gently. Dropping to his knees, his form gave way and left but a wolf before them.

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The howling, both Shippou and Inu Yasha had heard it. The little kit quickly finished his designated task and rushed to the aide of his friends. He knew that sound; it was Kouga, but something was horribly, horribly wrong. Flying through the forest, he finally caught up with the source to see Sango and Miroku staring at a small wolf wearily. The wolf stood tall and proud, but had a bit of trouble standing. From a demon's point of view, he was obviously sluggish, and seemed a bit tainted, but by what, he couldn't tell. As Shippou came closer, Kouga noticed his presence and turned, barking at the frightened little kitsune.

"WHERE IS SHE?!," Kouga demanded loudly, almost desperately as Shippou hurried behind Sango. She readied her weapon again, but Miroku put up a hand and lowered it, "It's okay Sango; he won't hurt us. I don't think it's us he's after."

"Wh... who?," Shippou stuttered.

"KAGOME! Who else?!"

"Oh, she's still in her time."

"Then why is dog-turd back here? Did he leave her to fend for herself?! If she's hurt I'll..."

"No, no, you've got it all wrong!," Shippou said hurriedly, waving his hands in front of him. Carefully he peeked from behind Sango and emerged, positioning himself between his friends and the crazed wolf.

"She's sick and Inu Yasha came to get help from Kaede."

Kouga seemed to think about this for a moment, and Miroku took the opportunity to get a few words in himself, "Shippou, what's wrong with him?"

Immediately the wolf looked up and snarled, baring his teeth in a most terrifying way. "What's WRONG with me?! I'm so goddamned weak I can't even keep my human form! My woman is in another time, sick no less, and I can't get to her! I have this HORRID pain throughout my body and my ears won't stop ringing! What the hell do they *think* is wrong with me?!"

Shippou backs off slightly and looks to his friends, "He's sick. Something's wrong with him, and I think his demon blood is getting the better of him."

Miroku nods and looks at Shippou skeptically, "Is that *really* what he said?"

The kit looks away sheepishly, "Well, without the symptoms and the language, yeah, basically." He receives a pat on the head for this.

"I think you've been around Inu yasha too long."

"Kouga," Sango turns towards the wolf. He's no longer snarling, but is no less fearsome. He was almost as frightening as Inu Yasha when *his* demon blood took over. Shaking the thought from her mind, she continued. "You should come see Kaede with us."

Miroku nods, "So you think this is connected to Kagome-chan?"

"Perhaps. Either way we have to see if we can help him."

With a nod, the three look to Kouga. They sit for a minute, watching his mind work through the decision and then smile as he nods and begins to slowly walk towards the village, faltering every other step or so. Sango comes up beside him, riding Kirara, and says, "Hey Kouga, why don't you ride on Kirara's back with me?" With a snap and a low growl, she looks forward, trying not to show her surprise.

"He says that he's a demon and doesn't need the help of a human." 

Sango sighs, "I think I'll let that one go Kouga, but *only* because you're not yourself." He snarls a little and then continues his trot forward. They hadn't gone very far to begin with, so the walk back to Kaede's was pretty short. Kouga sniffed, snarled, and backed away from the hut as Inu Yasha came out.

"Yo. Hey, what happened to Kouga?" The wolf snarls and snaps at him, but the hanyou is unfazed. "Anyway, we need a shard from you wimpy." At this, Kouga goes mad. He lunges for Inu Yasha, but is caught very easily. He's still ill and rather weak, a fact is not lost on the resident within.

"Inu Yasha, put him down. He is ill and needs my attention." Obediently, Inu Yasha drops the wolf and heads into the hut, everyone following closely behind.

"So dog-turd, when did you start rolling over for these humans? Care to play dead?" Shippou's eyes widen considerably, and he leaps for the safety of Sango's arms. None of the others know what he said, but at Shippou's reaction, they expect the worst and begin to slowly back away. Inu Yasha just scowls and turns from him, barking a short reply back.

"And when did you become so weak that you couldn't keep your form?" Kouga's snarls stop and his blue eyes fall to the ground more quickly than a lead balloon. One could almost hear him sigh as he made his way over to Kaede, the old woman giving him a short glance and looking back towards the herbs before her.

"Kouga, I be in need of a Shikon shard. Thou hast three and I wish to see one." At the wolf's confused look and a soft growl, she looks to him and continues. "I will give thy shard back, but I am in urgent need to look upon one. Tis for Kagome's sake as well as your own."

Hesitantly, Kouga looks to the miko and nods; he would do anything for Kagome. Standing as still as possible, Kouga watches as Kaede carefully takes a knife and creates a shallow cut on his leg. "Watch," she instructs and cuts in another spot a little more deeply. From there she removes a shard and, where as the first cut neither healed nor stopped bleeding, once the shard was removed, both the gash and the cut were gone.


	12. So Warm

Okay, I know, short chapter, but this is my second one today and I couldn't pass up the opportunity to stop there.^_~ Muahahaha! We see the present Kagome once again! Only a little bit though.6_~ Oh, and a question for you all, why does she get dizzy towards the end of this if Inu Yasha doesn't have any shards and there really aren't any around her?^_~ You'll have to find out later! Also, a little bit of answering responses this time.^_~

Merith- "Ok... so what's wrong with kagome? Does she have formaldehyde posioning?"

Heh, I love being evil.^_^ That's what we're beginning to find out here.^_~

SylverAngel- "Hmmm.... I did think frogs laid eggs, though..." (ch. 9)

Actually, I do believe that some frogs lay eggs and keep them on their back, but really, it was more the baby growing unnaturally from the shard's power and being um... squeezed out.^_^; lol

Acorngirl- well, you didn't post a question, but I love ya anyway!^_^ *giggles*

Okay, off to try and write the next chapter.^_^ Muahahaha! That one I've been looking forward to.^_~***

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Disclaimer: I don't own Inuyasha or any of the characters in it. If I did I'd be rich, but I'm not... and if I had lots of money I'd probably spend it on anime anyway so pleeaasseee, don't sue me.^_^ lol

Oh, and as always,

_= thoughts *_* = sound/ italicized "_" = speech//_// = narration

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Memories of the Present

Chapter 12: So Warm... 

"It is as I suspected." 

"What's happening?" Kouga's astonished voice broke through the silence; he was back in his human form. 

Kaede turns towards a worried hanyou, "I'm afraid, Inu Yasha, what the healer in Kagome's time said is true; neither she nor Kouga have contracted any illness. It is the shards that are affecting them."

A universal cry goes out, "What?!"

"Ye will need to bring the girl to me. Bring the shards as well; they will need to be studied."

"Can you help her Kaede?"

"Hm... we shall see child, we shall see."

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"mmm... uuggnnn..."

*knock, knock* "Kagome honey, are you okay? Can I come in?"

After a few moments, when no sounds are heard, Mrs. Higurashi steps into her daughter's room. Kagome is lying in bed, hair mussed, disheveled from her tossing and turning. Mrs. Higurashi feels her forehead again, still no fever. With a sigh, she picks up the empty glass from the girl's nightstand and gazes down into her sleeping face. She didn't seem to be doing any better. Besides her hair being a mess, her clothes had been stretched and wrapped around her as she tossed, causing her to constantly shift and tug at them in her sleep. Her skin was still awfully pale and her cheeks flushed as she ran from some unknown thing in her nightmares. (She hesitated from using the word demon for obvious reasons.^_~)

Kagome's mother sighs, I really wish Inu Yasha would come back. It seems as though Kagome needs him.

With another worried sigh, Mrs. Higurashi leaves, closing the door with a gentle "click".

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Mmmm... where am I? D…daddy? What's going o... no... NOOO!!! Kagome woke with a start, the only sound in the air was the residual fading of the click caused by a shutting door. She sat up, soaked in sweat. What had she been dreaming of? More importantly, why was she talking to herself? She got up and headed, shakily, towards her door. She stopped and turned into the bathroom, hoping that a nice shower would help. Kagome would've gladly taken a bath any day, but she was afraid that if Inu Yasha came back and she wasn't in bed, he'd be upset with her. A shower would easily take less time than a bath. Closing her eyes, she turned on the water and waited. Within a few minutes it was just the right temperature for her to get in, and she did so gladly.

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"Mom?"

"Yes Souta?"

"What's wrong with Kagome?"

Mrs. Higurashi smiles and hugs her son, "I don't know hun, but don't worry about it okay?"

He nods, "Hey, where did Inu-noneechan go?

"He went back to his time for a little while, but he'll be back soon." I hope...

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//Oh how right she was... well, kind of.//

"Your sister's in the shower right now. Why don't you go wait on the grounds and watch for Inu Yasha? She'd be pretty mad if he came home and barged in on her."

// Home... I guess this is his home too. Never really noticed that before. //

Souta gulps silently, knowing full and well how mad his sister can be, especially when she's not feeling well. "Okay momma."

"There's a boy. You want to take your soccer ball?"

"Nah, it's okay, I'll just wait in the shrine."

"Have fun!"

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MMmm... that shower felt good, Kagome thought, absently rubbing her neck. She noticed that something wasn't there, something was missing. The shards!

Quickly, she raced over to her backpack and began to search for them when she began to get a little dizzy. (Notice a pattern here?^_~*) Wearily, she walked back over to her bed, deciding that she'd look later, when she saw a slight movement outside her window. The tree branch outside her room shook slightly, then silence. After about ten minutes, she looked outside again, but there was nothing. Inu Yasha was probably there, but then why didn't he come in? Well, she wasn't going to just sit here and wait around for him. She knew he'd get mad if she got out of bed, but he was giving her no choice... right? 

She managed to make it to her door and down the stairs in one piece, only wobbling occasionally when she stepped on something uneven. She walked past the kitchen, her mother cleaning up inside. When she got outside the door, she looked around. He wasn't anywhere to be seen! 

Arrgggg!!! Where did he go? 

She looked around wearily. Walking towards the God tree, she began to get a little dizzy. Kagome was going to rest against the ancient tree when she reached it, but unfortunately, she didn't even get half way there. Her knees gave way and her legs bowed, sliding out from under her; she fell, fell into the darkness and downward towards the oncoming pavement below.

There was no thud, no pain, no nothing. She was conscious; she opened her eyes a few minutes later. Staring down on her was a person. Of course, the first thought that went through her mind was "Inu Yasha!", but there was something different. She couldn't see his face, his bangs covered that, but she could see his eyes, the beautiful golden, sun ridden orbs that she had come to love so much as being of her little hanyou companion. She sighed gently and curled against him.

So warm... 


	13. Fleeting Pleasures

No, this isn't a lemon chapter.^_~ lol it may seem lemony at first, but you know what I do with lemons? I make lemonade! Heh, okay, so aside from a few bad pulp jokes that made no sense, but still, I just like lemonade.^_^ Man, there were SOOOO many good places to stop in this one, well, the beginning of it at least, but I didn't want to leave and make it too short.^_^; lol Truth be told, most of the last was just random filler, but I like the beginning.^_^ I had forgotten that I needed a little time in between here and the next setion, and promptly ran out of ideas. *shrugs* Aww well. Enjoy!^_^

Oh, and as always,

_= thoughts *_* = sound/ italicized "_" = speech//_// = narration

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Memories of the Present

Chapter 13: Fleeting Pleasures 

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// I think it was only about a minute ago that I fell and Inu Yasha... Inu Yasha…//

Felling a slight movement, Kagome slowly begins to open her eyes. With them half closed, she can see Inu Yasha looking, staring off into the space surrounding the God tree, his gentle locks blowing freely in the wind. I wonder what he sees...

He turns towards her gently, scanning her person with a gentle glance. His eyes are different. They're the same, only... he looks sad, gentle. He almost looks more mature than he was an hour ago. I wonder what could've happened. 

She sighs sadly as he slowly lowers her down onto the cold ground. Her body persists, telling her that she can't lose his warmth, his scent, his presence in general. He looks back towards the sky and gets up slowly, almost reluctantly. He begins to walk away, but a sad voice stops him. "Inu Yasha, what's wrong? Why won't you speak to me?"

He turns quietly, glancing back over his shoulder to her small form. The look in his eyes makes her shiver, but why? So much emotion, it wasn't like him. Where was the scowl she had grown so accustomed to? Where was the hardness he always tried to bring to his gaze, always trying to hide something. Their depths were no longer clear and bright; they shone with pain, regret, and something else, maybe lo... no, it couldn't be, but... what then?

He closed his eyes tightly and walked towards her. Without a sound, he kneels down and helps her up, one arm working its way beneath her hair, no longer tangled from her sleep, but wet instead. Light shimmers over them as he removes that hand and gently places it near her neck instead. As his other arm wraps around her waist, the water droplets cease to fall, and he uses his free hand to stroke her cheek softly with a single claw.

She stares, confused and yet... drawn? What was she thinking? What was she feeling? In a way, she understood, but it was like the knowledge was long lost, buried. She wanted it released; she didn't want to be confused anymore. She wanted to know. She wanted to...

"Inu Y...Yasha...?"

His eyes closed as they slowly neared each other. With every breath he pulled her closer, pressing her against him tenderly. Her heart beat desperately in her chest, but she knew she wasn't alone in that. She could hear his beating wildly as her head was pulled to his chest, her ear settling just below his collarbone. He swallowed and it seemed to lodge momentarily in his throat. She licked her lips nervously as her legs turned to jelly beneath her. Needless to say, she wasn't sick anymore, but her stomach was still not at rest, as it would be, but for these butterflies that seemed to have found a new home. Her heart raced, jumping into her throat as his claw traced the curve of her jaw line. Slowly, with one finger, he nudged her head upwards, asking silently for her attention. She gladly gave it to him.

He sought questions in her; she could see that. His gaze piercing into the very depths of her soul. She could feel him there, stirring inside of her. What did he want? What was he looking for? His gaze changed again, this time from one of questioning to one of asking. What could he be thinking? What did he want?

He lowered his head towards hers, resting only to watch the expressions flutter across her face as he stared eye to eye with her. Eyes closed, he lowered his head even further, nuzzling the entire expanse of her shoulder to her jaw with the bridge of his nose. With another nuzzle to the underside of her jaw, he lifted his face to greet hers once more, but with a different intent this time. He kissed her, deeply, passionately. Her life with him flashed before her as shock overwhelmed her mind, and he overwhelmed her senses. She pressed herself against him by instinct and wrapped her arms around him. It was only when he pulled back that she realized that she had been, not only not responding, but not breathing either. He looked at her questioningly and she realized why; she hadn't returned his kiss.

Kagome groaned softly, curling up against him again. He seemed a little shocked, but in a way, she was glad. This time it was her turn to caress his face. She gazed deeply into his eyes, sweeping little bit of his bangs out of his face as she did. No matter how hard she may have tried, there was only one thing that could've broken that look. She nuzzled him the same way he had done to her only moments ago, only this time it was going to be a little different. 

She trailed small kisses along his jaw, up to where the ears would be if he had been human. She tentatively rubbed the base of his ears, causing him to shudder softly at her touch. She bent him down, placing one kiss on each ear, and then brought his face to hers. He needed her. She didn't know what had come over her, but she knew that much. What frightened her the most was that she wasn't sure that she didn't want the same.

He cupped her cheek in his hand, rubbing it gently with his thumb. He bent down to kiss her again, hesitantly this time, but she was ready for that. When he paused, she kissed him. Their lips molded together in the perfect union of lust and love. As far as Kagome was concerned, if the world had decided to stop right then, if she never had another moment, she would be happy, as long as this was her moment, their moment.

He pulled away suddenly, looking almost frightened as he stole a glance at the well house and then looked back towards her. He let her go, pulled his arms back to his sides, and gave her one last kiss before bounding off and leaving her there, alone. 

She stood there, staring at the place he once occupied, still feeling the warmth of his breath on her neck, his lips on hers. Her mind was a puddle of confusion, occasionally being kicked and causing more to rise until the sediment settled down at last. A small portion of her mind regained, she grudgingly made her way back to the front door.

"Kagome, Inu-noneechan is here!"

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Why... why is she looking at me that way? Inu Yasha gulped. Kagome ran to him, throwing herself into his arms. She had looked so happy that he was there, but why? Did she really want him around? Either way she was supposed to be in bed and had he not specifically told her to stay there?

"Oi, Kagome, didn't I tell you to stay in bed?"

"Wha...?" Why does she look so surprised? She should be glad I'm not mad.

"Keh, it doesn't really matter. Kaede-babba wants to see you. She thinks there is something wrong with the shards. Where are they?"

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But... but wait... wasn't he just... Tears welled up in Kagome's eyes. They had been so intimate and now, now everything was back to normal again. I wish time had stopped, she thought dryly.

On the conscious level, she knew that Inu Yasha was saying something, but she didn't care. Why was he doing this? She thought... she thought that he loved her, or cared for her at least. He *HAD* just kissed her for heaven's sake! But isn't this what always happens, one step forward and ten steps back?

"Kagome, are you listening to me?"

At least he wasn't really yelling at her for disobeying him.

"Where are the shards?"

Yes, the precious shards. If she were a little happier she would've been pissed by now, maybe even sat him, but frankly, she wasn't, so there was no use dwelling on it. Lifting a hand, she meekly pointed towards her bedroom, "In my backpack."

He nodded and jumped to her window. 

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Claiming the container, he picked her up and brought her over to the well. I don't get it. She seemed so happy to see me, but now she looks as if she's on the verge of tears! What did I do?

He adjusted her in his arms slightly and then hopped over the lip of the well, emerging in the familiar grassy clearing. Something is seriously wrong; I can feel it. I can smell it for crying out loud!

"Kagome?" She looked asleep, but his senses told him otherwise. He could smell the salt from the tears in her eyes and could hear her heart beating irratically. She felt as if a sudden weight had been put on her, and Inu Yasha could only figure that it had something to do with her being sick. With the Shikon shards involved, things could be a lot worse.

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Everyone was waiting at Kaede's for them to return, but none more so than Kouga and Shippou.

"Kagome, Kagome! Are you okay?," a worried little kit shouted as he ran up to her. Kouga followed the little one, jealousy flaring slightly when the fox child threw himself into Kagome's arms, 'HIS' Kagome's arms. She embraced him tightly and ruffled his hair a bit before letting him down. She was surprised that Inu Yasha hadn't bothered to yell at the kitsune, but he seemed too deep in thought to notice much of the real world right now.

"Kagome, are you okay? What did he do to you? Did he leave you alone? I would always protect you..." A sharp bark and Kouga was silent. All eyes turn on the hanyou who just quickened his pace slightly and walked into Kaede's hut. When the others tried to follow, he glared at them, almost *daring* them to enter. He was tired of the games, and more so of the noise. 

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"Kagome, how ye be feeling child?" Getting up, Kaede strolled over to where Inu Yasha had put Kagome.

"Hmmm... Inu Yasha, please get Miroku. We will be needing his help." With a nod, Inu Yasha departs and the two are left alone.

"Why so quiet? Ye'd think ye and the hanyou had switched personalities with how calm he's been today."

"I think everything's been weird today." 

Kaede nods, "But something is still troubling thee. Mayhaps it would be best for thou to have a bath with Sango whilst we prepare."

Thankfully, Kagome nods and stands. Being excused, she wanders outside to see Sango watching Inu Yasha and Kouga go at it, Shippou trying to break them up. Miroku is standing beside Sango, up to his usual game of hide and seek.

*Whack!* " Hentai!"

"Hey dog-turd, keep away from my woman!"

"She's not yours bastard!"

"Hey you two, knock it off!"

"Maybe we should all just calm down."

"Houshi-sama?"

"Yes?"

Everyone turns to the monk briefly, "SHUT UP!!!" Everything returns to the chaotic state it had previously been in. Maybe it'd be best if Kagome just went alone. She didn't feel much like getting in between any of the fighting going on and *definitely* did not want to get groped, proposed to, or claimed. All she wanted was a bath.

"Kagome?" She looked just to her right and noticed Sango standing there. "Are you okay? It looks like something's bothering you."

"How...?

The demon hunter laughs, "Woman's intuition?"

Kagome giggles and sighs. Nodding, she turns towards the hot springs and looks back at Sango who nods right back.

A slightly worried look spreads across Sango's face, "Kagome-chan, how will we get to the spring?"

Indeed, they had a cat... erm, dogfight going on between three demons, *AND* they had to lose the monk in order to get past all of them and to the forest.

"Don't worry, Miroku won't be hard and I've got the perfect plan for the others." Sango watches curiously and follows as Kagome walks up to Miroku. She tells him that Kaede wants to see him and needs his help. He nods and rises, walking quickly towards the hut. "One down." 

Sango nods approvingly. "So, how are you going to take care of them?" She points towards the ball of flying fists.

"Easily, watch." The girls stand there a few moments. No sound is uttered from either until, "Sit." The rosary being activated, Inu Yasha comes tumbling to the ground right on top of two conveniently placed demons. Shippou managed to squirm his way out before the real fight would begin, but it didn't take long to get started. 

Kagome walked over the crumpled pair, well, on them actually, and Sango followed close behind.

"Don't you think that was a little mean?"

From under the wolf, Inu Yasha responds into his good friend Mr. Dirt patty, "Bitch."

"No," Kagome shakes her head, "I don't think so at all." She smirks and the girls walk off to the spring.

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"Hey, you can't call my woman a bitch!"

"Your woman?!"

"Yeah, mine dog-breath!"

"Just WAIT until this rosary spell wears off!!!"

*Sighs* Some things... will *never* change...


	14. Darkhaired Angel

You know, I've never realized just how well Simple and Clean (the KH theme song) can be fitted to Inu Yasha.^_^ No, seriously, it wouldn't be hard at all. If I knew how, I might just make a video, but I don't.

*shrugs* aww well.^_^ Anyway, long chapter, but mostly because of all of the talking. Soooooo much talking. *sighs* but, some things needed to be explained.^_~

Oh, and as always,

_= thoughts *_* = sound/ italicized "_" = speech//_// = narration

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Memories of the Present

Chapter 14: Dark-haired Angel

"Is everything done Kaede?" 

Around the room the two had spread all forms of herbs, spices, and healing potions. They had roots hanging from the ceiling along with jars of animal parts lining the edges of the floor, courtesy of Inu Yasha and Kouga of course. Fresh is always better. In the center of the room, the small cauldron over the fire was full, water boiling away waiting for the ingredients to come. Everyone had had a task to accomplish; even Shippou was sent out to make sure Kouga and Inu Yasha didn't go near each other while hunting. He may have had the most dangerous job. Granted, he could've been watching Miroku, but with the girls gone there was no female left for him to grope, except Kaede, and I don't think anyone wants to think about that. It had been Shippou's task to transform into the animal one of the two youkai had been chasing as to lead them away when they got too close to each other. Sure, his scent would give him away, but it had taken them so long to realize that he was doing it, that he hadn't needed to worry about that aspect until the very end of their assignments. Now all they needed were the girls and the shards. The old miko had confiscated the shards when Kagome first came back, so that wasn't a problem. The real question there was to why no one was able to look at them. She had been very secretive, even for her, but they all supposed that was due to the fact that this would probably be a "delicate operation".

Everything in its proper place, it was time for the girls.

"Inu Yasha, please fetch the girls from the spring."

"Feh, let Shippou do it," Inu Yasha said, waving his hand and feigning boredom.

"Shippou can not go. He be too small to carry the girl if she were to get sick again on the way back."

"I'll gladly do it Kaede-sama." Miroku rises, trying to appear noble.

"No lecher is going *near* my woman! I'll go." All but Kaede glare at the wolf youkai.

" Keh, out of my way." Inu Yasha pushes past everyone, Shippou at his heels. As he leaves the hut, the other three turn to each other.

"Well, that was easy enough." Kaede nods.

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"Kagome, what's that for?"

"Hmm... oh this? I just had a shower so I don't need to wash my hair, and I don't need to get it wet again."

"Ahh, makes sense to me. Okay, so let's bet on who's going to come barge in on us. It's about time someone did."

"Hmm... okay, that's easy, Miroku."

"Yeah, I wouldn't be surprised, but Inu Yasha and Kouga would both be after him. I think he'd prefer his life over a chance to grope us."

"I don't know about that."

"Fine then, I'll go with... Shippou."

"SHIPPOU?!"

"Well yeah, who else are they going to trust enough to come get us? Besides, Inu Yasha fears for his life too." The two laugh at this a little.

"Yeah, I suppose you're right. What do you want to bet?"

"Hmm... some chocolate if I win..."

A mischievous grin spreads slowly across Kagome's face. "And if I win… you have to let Miroku kiss you."

"**WHAT**?!" 

"Oh come on, you know you want it!"

"What, did your sickness make you that delusional?"

Kagome giggles, "I'm fine and you KNOW you'd love it. Do you want the chocolate or don't you?"

After a few moments of thought, "Yeah, okay. You said Miroku right? But if you win, I'm NOT kissing him here. You *never* said I have to be half naked when I did it."

"Don't worry, we wouldn't want to give him a heart attack anyway. Besides, I said he'd have to kiss you, not the other way around. I suppose we could switch that if you *really* want to."

Realization dawns on her, and Sango blushes scarlet, "I... I didn't mean it like that!!!"

"Uh huh, oh, I hear something. Lets see if we can hide before they get here."

"Um... Kagome, we're in the water. Where could we hide?"

"Come on!" Kagome ducks beneath the hot water, pushing Sango down with her.

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"Where's Kagome?"

Inu Yasha smirks, "Heh, watch." Slowly, he walks right up to the spring's edge and waits. Within a few minutes the girls come rushing up from beneath the surface gasping and coughing slightly.

"KAGOME! I thought you didn't want to get your hair wet! What's the big ide...a? Um... Kagome? What are you looking at... ahh!"

With a yelp, Sango goes diving back into the water while Kagome stares in shock. Inu Yasha is face to face with her, maybe an inch apart... maybe. Right next to him, Shippou is standing there with his pants...

"Inu Yasha, why am I doing this?"

"HENTAAAII!!!" Kagome slaps Inu Yasha, standing to gain the force needed. Her towel slips off and their heads collide causing both parties to fall into the spring in a rather compromising position. All the while, Shippou is still standing there mooning them.

"Can I stop now?" He pulls up his pants; "I wonder why I supposed to do that. Oh no, now Inu Yasha's gone too!"

All three come up sputtering from the water. Sango notices her best friend's um... position (heh, sorry.^_^;), and comes to her rescue only to slip on some slime and send them all back into the murky depths. When they finally reemerge, Sango crawls out with a little help from Shippou and helps Kagome into a towel while watching her 'sit' Inu Yasha into infinity."

"Why don't you SIT down Inu Yasha?" *splash*

"Bi…"

"What an idiot," Shippou mutters.

"The water's nice to SIT in." *splash*

"Wen..."

"Tell me about it."

"Miroku?! Where did you come from?!"

"Maybe I'll help you if you SIT still!" *splash*

"Um... Kagome?"

She huffs, arms folded across her chest, "Yeah?"

"Aren't you afraid that you might kill him?"

"No Sango, if he has enough air to insult me, I can sit him again." *splash* Inu Yasha comes up sputtering.

"Keh, you don't need my help! I should've just stayed in the hut, but nooooo, Kagome's sick! I'm going back."

Kagome stops, staring wide-eyed at the soaked hanyou as he disappears down the path; He came because he thought I might need help?

Grasping her towel tightly, she runs over to him, but he doesn't stop. She walks along side him for a minute and then stands in front of him. Inu Yasha just stops, looks away, and 'feh's.

"Inu Yasha... look, I'm sorry. You just surprised me."

He scoffs, "And the other two?"

"You insulted me." She glares at him.

"Feh."

Instantly, Sango comes running along the path with Shippou. She's got both of their things and runs right past the pouting couple. "Hey Kagome, make that a week's worth of chocolate, and I'll see you in the hut!"

"Hey, wait, Shippou wasn't the one se... MY CLOTHES!" Maniacal laughter can be heard all the way down the path. A minute later, Miroku flies by chasing after Sango. Inu Yasha bends down and sweeps Kagome off of her feet before bounding after them

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"Humph!" Kagome changes in a nearby hut. She'd be changing in Kaede's, but Sango was in there with all of the guys. There are too many to move just because she needs to change. Besides, Inu Yasha won't let her near Sango for fear of the demon hunter's safety. And, after all, without Sango, Miroku would start groping Kagome more. "Stealing my clothes..."

She quietly mumbles some more and heads back to the hut. Inu Yasha had been sent to guard and watch over her while she changed (but not WHILE she changed, you know?), and now he was walking by her side, matching her step for step. It was amazing; even when she suddenly got dizzy and stopped, he didn't over step. Not again...

"Kagome?"

She groaned and collapsed into his arms, as her legs would no longer support her. The world spun around her in drastic colors and all she could think of was the sudden sickening of her stomach and what possible reason there could be for her to get sick so easily. Inu Yasha balanced her trembling form carefully and called for Kaede. She came out, shards in hand, and Kagome fell unconscious.

When she awoke, she was in her sleeping bag in front of the fire. She could smell herbs brewing softly and the smell did not agree with her. Groaning, she rolled over hoping to go back to sleep and avoid the sunlight that was already making her headache that much worse.

"I think she's awake."

Well, no more sleep for me I guess.

"Kagome, Kagome, are you okay?" The worried little kitsune snuggled into her sleeping bag with her. She cuddled him softly and buried her head into her pillow. Oh how the hanyou wished he were that pillow.

"Shippou," Kaede began softly, "ye must whisper here. Kagome probably has a headache and being loud would worsen it." Shippou's eyes widen and he nods, understanding clearly showing across his small features.

"Child, I am going to do a test. Tell me what ye feel." Kagome opens her eyes slowly as Kaede walks towards her.

"Kagome?" Inu Yasha looks over her, "KAGOME!"

"She's passed out?"

"Aye Miroku, it is as I suspected. The shards are causing Kagome's illness."

"Why aren't they making us sick?," Shippou whispers from beneath the sleeping bag.

Kagome opens her eyes wearily, "Ugghhnnn..." She attempts to sit up and falls back down, almost crushing Shippou in the process. Kouga reaches out to support her from her left side as the dog demon glares at them from her right. "What...?"

"Kagome, Inu Yasha has told me of the water that the frog youkai was dropped into. He said that it smelled like nothing he had ever smelled before. Do ye know what that was?"

"MMmm... the formaldehyde?" 

Sango cocks her head gently, "firm-al-da-hide?"

Kagome holds her head, "formaldehyde is the chemical, um... a liquid, that we put the dead frogs into so that they don't decompose."

"Decom..."

Kagome sighs wearily. She had not the patience to explain her entire world to them, so maybe she should make this as simple as possible. "Look, in school we have a class where we have to dissect frogs. Dissect being to cut them open."

"Why?" Shippou looks up from the young girl's lap.

"I dunno, it's just something we do. Anyway, if the frog starts to decompose," she looks at the confused faces and continues, "rot, it would be too fragile and we wouldn't be able to. The frogs are put into formaldehyde to keep them from rotting." They all stare blankly at her.

"But that's disgusting!" Kouga looks absolutely horrified.

"Yeah, we think so too. School makes us do it."

"But Kagome," Inu Yasha pulls her attention away from his rival, "the frog wasn't dead; it was a demon."

"No, it was a regular frog and it was most definitely dead... or was until the shard fell into it."

"Humph... I still say it was a demon."

"This still doesn't explain why Kagome-chan is sick," Sango piped up.

"Doesn't it?," Miroku answered, "Think about it. The Shikon no Tama was inside *her* body. She is the one who can use it and she is the one it reacts to. Kagome shares a very strong bond with the jewel, and so, if something's wrong with the jewel, it's only logical that it would affect her as well. The rest of us aren't affected because we do not share the same bond as Kagome-sama."

Kagome groans gently and leans her head back against the wall. The noise was really starting to get to her now, but she couldn't leave. Not only was this important to know, she didn't have the strength to sit up by herself, let alone walk away.

Shippou looks at Kagome worriedly, 'But then, why was Kouga affected?"

"He, though not having a mental bond with the jewel, had a physical one. He drew strength from the shard's power and was therefore tainted by it."

"Then why...," Kagome began, but Kouga leaned her back against him and put his finger to her lips. 

"Shh, save your strength. I'm not feeling the effects any longer because Kaede took my shards and is keeping them for me until we can figure out how to solve this problem."

Inu Yasha sat there staring at Kouga. He wouldn't. He didn't just... oohh... he's going to die. When Kagome is better I'll rip his head off of his shoulders!

Hearing the hanyou's low growling, Kagome turned to him and smiled, resting a hand upon one of his own. Her soft smile and Kouga's shocked face were enough to break he barrier of hatred he had created towards the outside world... for a moment anyway. He blushed deeply. The young miko, no longer noticing a growling, turned to Kaede.

"Is there anything that can be done?"

She thought for a moment. "Leave a shard with me. The rest of the shards may go with thee on thy journey; the one I keep shall be used to try and find a solution to thy predicament." She stands up and stretches slightly. "In the meantime," Kaede searches for something in the corner of her hut. Finding it, she returns to the group, "keep this pendant on thee. It will weaken the bond between the Shikon no Tama and thy self, and no longer will ye become ill when you come close to a shard. (this is what I meant in ch.12 when I said "see a pattern?") It is the best that this old miko can do." 

Kagome gladly takes it and nods. "Thank you, I feel better already, but where can I put it? I don't have any pockets."

"Do I get one too?" Inu Yasha suddenly stands up and exits the hut, arousing suspicion from everyone around him. They all stare after him curiously and Kagome gets up to go find him, much to Kouga's dismay. 

"No Kouga, there is nothing I can do to prevent sickness from a physical bond. That can not be blocked with the contact needed for the shards to be of any use to you. I shall keep thy shards for thee until the cure is found." Sadly he nods.

"So do we move on then?" Sango looks towards the door of the hut, "Kagome may not be ill anymore, and I know that Inu Yasha would have us move on, but..."

"Where would we go?," Miroku finished for her.

Kouga looks to them both; "I have heard rumors of a giant bird youkai that lives in the upper regions of my territory. He's been causing a lot of havoc and I was going to go take care of him later, but maybe this would be a better time."

Miroku looks at him thoughtfully, as if trying to figure out if he were telling the truth, but why would Kouga lie to them? "And you think it may have a shard?"

"Yes, at least one. I will give you passage through my territory and the information I have on this youkai, but only for a price."

Miroku raises a quizzical eyebrow, "Which would be?"

Kouga smirks, "Allow me to travel with you. Really, it would be my land you'd be wandering on, so I could be there if I pleased anyway. I just decided to be nice and give you a choice."

"Well, we really don't have much of a choice in the matter then do we? Though, we would let you come either way. You may be an asset to us, but Inu Yasha... that is another matter entirely."

"Don't worry about dog-turd. I can handle him."

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*achoo! ACHOO!* "Damnit! Someone's talking shit about me!"

Grrr... I can't *believe* I left Kagome alone with that wimpy wolf! Well, if he lays a finger on her I'll kill him. Besides, Kagome's strong and everyone else is there to protect her. Now, back to this..."

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"Inu Yasha! Inu Yasha, where are you?"

Yeah, real smart Higurashi, attract every demon in the forest. Hmm... knowing Inu Yasha he'll probably be in a tree somewhere. Let's see.

She had left Kaede's hut about five minutes ago to see where Inu Yasha had gone to. Of course, he had been long gone by the time she had gotten outside, but that never stopped her from looking before. Now, all she had to do was scan the canopy, catch sight of a red blur, and... bingo!"

"Inu Yasha!" She waved as she ran towards him, almost tripping over a root. He turned around on his branch and, when he saw her, nearly jumped out of his skin, causing him to fall out of the tree. 

Okay, that was interesting.

"Damnit woman, don't DO that!"

"Sorry, I didn't think it was possible to surprise you."

He looked away and scowled, "Keh."

"Anyway, what did you run out like that for?"

He turns his back to her, "What do you care?"

Kagome hadn't failed to notice the smug grin on his face as he turned away. She stomped over to him and tapped him on the shoulder, demanding to know what he was doing. Before she could move, he had grabbed her, pulled the amulet from her hand, and began wrapping something around her neck. 

At first she was shocked, but soon calmed down when she realized how lose the thing around her neck really was. The looked down and gasped. The amulet that she had been carrying was now the centerpiece of a necklace! But what was the cord made out of? It felt like a leather cord, but it was much softer and much stronger. It was silver, but it wasn't metal... wait, silver? No, it was white. It was a braided rope of Inu Yasha's hair.

Her jaw dropped. She admired the way that the white brought out the blue of the amulet. Actually, until now she hadn't really noticed much about the amulet. It seemed to be made out of stone, but was polished and smooth. Probably tumbled, maybe from the riverbed? Imbedded within the (human) ear-sized rock was a light blue stone about the size of an eye. It twinkled in the minimal light, and almost seemed to move and change colors as the breeze picked up and the wind shifted the tree tops. The rock itself was not carved, but the effects of the lines within made it seem to be so. It was of a light tanish color by nature, but the light from the crystal turned it slightly teal. Though somewhat plain, it was quite beautiful.

She looked up, not noticing how long he had been staring at it. She noticed that Inu Yasha had been watching her, and seemed to have an almost worried look in his eyes. When he saw her looking at him, his usual scowl returned and she giggled. 

"You made the braid?" He nodded dumbly. Casually, she strode up next to him, stood there for a second, and then leaned over and kissed his cheek. "Arigato."

He stood there, watching her walk off. Did she just kiss me?! His mind seemed to come out of its haze a few seconds later, and he noticed the blush that had managed to overcome his scowl. Inu Yasha looked stubbornly to the tree at his side, still blushing, crossed his arms, and said one word, "Feh." Then he jumped and caught up with the young girl, his dark-haired angel.


	15. Nighttime Grievances

OH! I just had the GREATEST idea! Once again I've gone back to occasionally listening to "Simple and Clean" (Kingdom Hearts theme) and I've been thinking a lot about how easily it could be fit into the Inu Yasha spectrum. I was thinking, I've never done one before, but in a few chapters I could probably insert that into it (REALLY well I might add), as kind of a song fic, but mostly fic chapter.^_^ I've never tried that before, but do you guys think I should? It would be a MAGOR emotional boost to probably the most emotional scene in the entire fic for those of us who have heard it. I would ***REALLY*** like some input on this because I wouldn't have much time, maybe only a chapter or two to think about it. Thanks!^_^

Update: Okay, I thought it was such a great idea that I wrote it anyway.^_^ Heh, but I still want to know how many people think I should do it or post it. What's more, I want to know how many people even know the song. I think that's more important.^_~

****

Disclaimer: I don't own Inuyasha or any of the characters in it. If I did I'd be rich, but I'm not... and if I had lots of money I'd probably spend it on anime anyway so pleeaasseee, don't sue me.^_^ lol

Oh, and as always,

_= thoughts *_* = sound/ italicized "_" = speech

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Memories of the Present

Chapter 15: Nighttime Grievances

Two weeks, TWO WEEKS and still nothing! They had been searching forever and soon Kagome would have another test to go back for. By this time it was late afternoon and all were becoming a bit weary. Of course, Inu Yasha, being a hanyou, was not tired at all and pushed them all onward. Kouga was still traveling with them and had been insisting for he past three days that they were close to this demon, but they were beginning to have their doubts. He had, however, come in handy on occasion. He might find shelter or know of a nearby town, and sometimes he even went hunting for the group. Just his presence kept many lesser demons from bothering them too much, but, wonderful as that was, it was getting a bit old. Miroku and Kagome didn't mind the small vacation in the least, but Sango and Inu Yasha were becoming a bit restless. It wasn't that Sango loved to fight like he did, it was just in her blood. Besides, even Shippou had been on edge, and had every right considering that he was the one Inu Yasha would vent his frustrations on. Of course, every time he hit Shippou he would get sat, and every time he upset Kagome he'd be neck deep in a fight with Kouga. This arrangement he didn't really mind either, but no one else seemed to like it much. Needless to say, they all needed a break.

"Why don't we stop here for the night? There should be a hot spring up ahead and the girls could have a bath while we make camp."

Miroku sets down his staff. "I'm sure the ladies would like to relax after such a day."

"Wow, Sango-chan, are they actually acting like gentlemen?"

"I'm afraid they are Kagome. Quick, lets escape and go look for the real Miroku and Kouga!" Sango replies, playfully poking Miroku on the shoulder.

"Oh, oooh, can I come too?" Both girls turn to the little kit and smile. He's bouncing around excitedly and waving his hands in the air.

They laugh, "Of course Shippou-chan. Can you get the bath stuff for us?"

"Sure!" He rushes off and starts digging hurriedly through Kagome's pack. Before he is even through the first layer he's being dangled in the air, spinning slightly due to the folds in his little blue shirt.

Inu Yasha glares, "Shippou, trying to get out of the work? I thought you were a man."

"Aaeeiii!!! Kagome, Inu Yasha's being mean!"

"Inu Yasha!," The young miko demands, hands on hips and foot tapping, " Would you really make him work when there are three strong men around?! He's just a kid."

"Yeah.," Shippou pouts. He gives his best innocent little kid expression, big watery eyes, fluttering lashes, pouty lip, the works.

Mouths drop, "Strong...

"...men?" Kouga grins.

"Keh."

"I thought as much. Come on Shippou-chan." The three head off in the direction of the spring leaving a blushing monk, a smug wolf demon, and a pouting hanyou.

"What's with women and baths?," Inu Yasha questions, obviously annoyed.

"Aaaahh, Inu Yasha, it is a wonderful thing to watch women take baths. The curves the...ow!" 

"Knock it off lech!"

"Ahhh, well..."

Kouga turns to them, "Would you guys hurry it up? I can't do everything now can I?" They turn towards the voice only to see that the campsite has already been prepared. The sleeping bags are out, each customized to their inhibitor, all placed in a circular pattern around the fire. Miroku's is purple, lying beneath a tree at the head of the fire, staff next to it. Sango's, is right next to his, but slightly to the left. Her large boomerang shines from the minimal light put out by the fire, and the rose tinted bag shines lusciously beneath its glow. Kagome's is placed next to Sango's, on the opposite side of the fire than Miroku's. Hers is deep blue and, lying beside it, she has her backpack, quiver, and arrows. The shine from which hurts the poor hanyou's eyes. Lastly, the extra sleeping bag that was brought for Kouga had been placed in a strategic position, that being between Miroku and Kagome. He had nothing next to his; Kagome was all he needed. A small pile of wood is next to the fire pit, and there are already sticks set up for cooking dinner. The fire is already lit and burning steadily, sending a small burst of warm, yellow light throughout the camp site to reflect upon the trees surrounding the small clearing.

"But Kouga-chan, it seems that everything's been done but..."

"Feh, let me guess, food and water."

Kouga laughs, "Yep, get going doggy-boy!"

Inu Yasha gets into a fighting position; bent at the knee, back slightly arched, he snarls and flexes his claws, "Why you...!"

Hoping to break up the fight before he'll have to clean up after it, the houshi interrupts as peacefully as he can. "What will I be doing?" Ahh, being submissive can do a world of good sometimes!

"Huh?" Both youkai turn to look at the monk, "Oh, you'll be guarding the camp."

"If Inu Yasha is doing the food and water, why will I need to guard the camp if you'll be here as well."

"Oh," Kouga says, the grin widening on his face, "I won't be here. I'll be off picking flowers for *MY* woman."

"Hmmm...," the lecher scratches his chin thoughtfully, "women *do* love flowers."

"What?! Why you, she is *NOT* YOUR WOMAN!!!"

"Come on dog-turd, don't want the ladies to starve!" In a flash a whirlwind appears where Kouga was standing; an instant later he's gone, leaving a *VERY* pissed inu youkai behind.

"Stupid wimpy wolf, trying to make me look bad," he mumbles in a tone barely audible to even demon ears.

Miroku shakes his head and sighs, "You had better get going Inu Yasha."

He turns to Miroku, still fuming, "And *what* makes you think I'm going *anywhere*?!"

"Well," he says matter-of-factly, "the girls need to eat, as do we, and it would be a lot faster if you did it. You wouldn't expect the girls to go hunt now would you?"

Grumbling, Inu Yasha snorts at Miroku before wandering off into the forest to find dinner. What's with all of the stinking guilt trips?!

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"Shippou, stop that!," two laughing forms shout into the steamy hot spring. The girls were just getting out of the water when a little tail popped up and splashed them. Shielding their faces with their hands, the girls kick water back at the cub. 

"Don't make me come in there!," the younger girl threatens mockingly.

"Yeah Shippou, be careful!" They all laugh a little more and start to pick up their things. Shippou hops from rock to rock, naked as the day he was born, to get changed with the girls. He loved bathing with Kagome and often wondered why only Sango did as well. Surely Inu Yasha would like it if he gave it a chance. And Miroku, well, even Shippou knew better than to put the monk in there to bathe with them. He began to get dressed, Kagome helping him when his head got stuck in his shirt, when a voice calls out to them from the bushes.

"Hey ladies, would you like some help with that?"

"AAHH!!! HENTAI!!!" A scurry of rapidly moving towels and a few lumps later, the figure falls out of the bushes and Inu Yasha comes bounding down the path. Sensing danger, not to mention hearing the screaming girls, he jumps, landing in front of Kagome, and searches quickly for any remaining threats. When his gaze falls downward, he falls over laughing.

"Kouga, you idiot!" Everyone in the vicinity sweatdrops at the hyena on the ground and the unconscious wolf prince. Shippou walks up to the fallen form cautiously, and kicks him gently in the side. Well, he's out.

"Riiightt... Inu Yasha, you mind taking him back to camp while we change?"

Snickering, he stands and then lets out a little chuckle. "For that, yeah, it's worth it." He laughs some more and heads back down the path carrying Kouga like so many rotting potatoes (i.e. with both hands, but as far away from him as he can get). The girls shake their heads and sigh. Everyone helps to clean up and they all head back to camp.

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"What was all the commotion? Where are the girls?"

Inu Yasha walks up and drops Kouga in front of the baffled houshi. "He walked in on them while they were changing." Miroku sends a knowing smirk to the already grinning hanyou. They both start cracking up and continued until the others returned.

"Ughnn... what happened?" 

Miroku and Inu Yasha snicker again. Gloating, Inu Yasha stands above Kouga and grins down at him, "You were stupid enough to walk in on them wimpy."

"Yeah, like neither of you have ever done it. *bop, bop* Oowww!!! Kagome!!!"

"Sit" *crash*

"You know Inu Yasha, Shippou has a point." Frowning, Sango picks Shippou up and holds him while Kagome tends to Kouga.

"Kouga-kun, are you okay?" Kagome bends down to check his head. "Sorry about that, but we didn't know it was you and you startled us." Inu Yasha's jaw drops. 

The wolf prince smiles sweetly at the young girl and nods, "Sorry about that. I guess I should have said something first."

Sango's frown melts and she smiles back. "Don't worry about it." Hey, at least he can sincerely apologize. "Hey, Kagome, what are those by your sleeping bag?"

"What?," She looks over to the campsite, Wow, they did a good job. Her gaze falls upon the little bundle set up on the foot of her sleeping bag. Inu Yasha watches with green eyes while hers widen and sparkle with life. "Oh, flowers! How sweet!" How he wished he could make her smile like that. She looks to him, the sweetest, most beautiful expression on her face, but all he can do is look away. He hadn't done it.

"I picked them for you while you three were bathing."

"Well," her face drops slightly and she looks towards the wolf prince, " that was very sweet of you Kouga-kun." In response, he grins, completely oblivious of the slight drop in her happiness, and picks her up, setting her down gently on her sleeping bag facing the fire. "Only the best for my woman."

"Um... Kouga-kun," she began nervously, "I'm no…"

"Ahem, dinner's ready!" All eyes turn to Miroku and the meat roasting over the fire. Thankful for the intrusion, everyone goes to sit down except Inu Yasha. Instead, he jumps up into the nearest tree and sulks.

Stupid Kouga, making me look bad! I would've gotten 'sat' into infinity for that, and Miroku would've been castrated! Where does he get off getting out of punishment like that?!

Kagome notices that a certain someone is missing and glances over her shoulder, past the camp to where Inu Yasha is perched. Probably mad that he got sat. Getting up, she turns to the others, "I'll be right back."

Kouga stands up to block her, "Where are you going?"

"I'm going to go see what is wrong with Inu Yasha," she looks around nervously before picking up a nice, large, succulent lump of flesh and setting it on something, "... and bring him his food." Always with the excuses.

"Don't worry about him; he can take care of himself."

"Still...," she looks up towards the tree, "he needs his dinner." Miroku rises and puts a hand on Kouga's shoulder signaling that he shouldn't stop Kagome again. Kouga huffs softly and goes back to where he was seated. Legs crossed and shoulders slumped, he sits up straight, decision written all over his face. He would stay there and eat his dinner, for now, but he'd still keep an ear on them just in case.

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Stupid Kouga, tying to keep her from getting up and coming over to me. Heh, she got past him. I'll have to thank Miroku for that later; on second thought, maybe I just won't beat on him as hard as I usually do next time he gropes Kagome. Nah, not going to happe... 

"Inu Yasha?" Thoughts interrupted for the time being, the hanyou looks down to yell at who ever had the audacity to bother him. However, he wasn't quite ready for the sight that befell him, though there's no real reason why he shouldn't have been. It's not like he didn't expect her to be there, but he didn't expect her to look like, well, *that*.

Kagome sat below him, dinner in hand, not only his, but hers as well. She shifted slightly at the bottom of the tree to look up towards him more easily. Though she couldn't see him very well in the dark, he could certainly see her. She was so beautiful. Though the firelight cast a soft glow over her features, making her appear that much more soft and supple, nothing could compare to the effect the moonlight had upon her. Her freshly washed hair still glistened with water droplets the bath had left behind. He made sure to notice how the shine really complimented her dark tresses and, as she looked upwards, how the moonlight caught her eye at just the right angle. It seemed to shine into the very depths of her soul, making everything and anything visible if one could only look deeply enough. His heart constricted in his chest as the wind picked up, showering both her and the landscape with water droplets and flower petals. She shivered softly and looked up expectantly, waiting, waiting for him, to be with him. She was so beautiful. He wanted to say something meaningful, something that would express how he felt. He had never been good at that kind of thing, but he had to try. He couldn't be afraid forever now could he?

"What do you want?" Yep, that was definitely *not* what he was going for. Ahh well, he'd gotten pretty used to that by now.

"I brought you your dinner."

"Keh, I don't need it. Why don't you just go eat it with Kouga." Um hmm, his stomach wasn't rumbling, nooo....

I am SO going to get sat for that. Well, that moment died pretty quickly. 

"OOHHH!!! Fine, be that way! Maybe I will!" And with that, she threw his dinner at him and stormed back over to the campsite to finish hers.

You REALLY need to work on your people skills, his inner voice scolded him. 

Yeah, well at least she didn't 'sit' me.

True, but now she's sitting with Kouga instead of you.

Damn. Why do you always have to be right!?

Well, you *say* that you're always right, and I *AM* a part of you.

Yeah, that's true. I'm good. Satisfied with himself, Inu Yasha sets to work eating his, now cold, dinner with a smug grin on his face. 

(Sorry, I HAD to make him egotistic there; it was just too easy!!!)


	16. No Ramen for Breakfast

So, do you guys like the longer chapters?^_^

Merith- Actually, Miroku was still at the campsite. Inu Yasha walked up and dropped Kouga in front of him so technically, he didn't go. But, at the same time, Shippou wasn't sent either; Inu Yasha was. So basically, they both lost, BUT it would be hilarious to see Miroku having a heart attack, not to mention a few million day dreams, so maybe I'll be able to squeeze in another bet.^_~ Or, you know, just make it a dare or something. Lol Note to self: on the way back they need to play a traveling game. Heh, I loved it when they did that in the series.^_^ 

Hoyin- lol hey there! Aww, you don't like Kouga? You should see the plushies I have of him and Fluffy, they're so cuuutteee!!!=^-^= heh, but yeah, he's ALWAYS jealous because he can never have her. Muahaha, sucks for him! Anyway, yeah, there's a lot more chapters to come so don't worry.^_~ Besides, the climax is going to be somewhere around chapter 20 and that's not even the end, so you probably have another 10-15 chapters left before it's "done".^_^ I'll write others after that too; I just need to think up more ideas. Heh. Hey, do you like "Simple and Clean"?

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Disclaimer: I don't own Inuyasha or any of the characters in it. If I did I'd be rich, but I'm not... and if I had lots of money I'd probably spend it on anime anyway so pleeaasseee, don't sue me.^_^ lol

Oh, and as always,

_= thoughts *_* = sound/ italicized "_" = speech

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Memories of the Present

Chapter 16: No Ramen for Breakfast

"Fluffy, Rin wants to know why we left Jaken behind."

"Rin, don't call me Fluffy."

"Why is he always so grumpy?"

Did she even hear me?

"He just is."

"Why?"

"Because."

"Why?"

"Because."

"Why?"

"Because."

"Why?"

"Because." 

"... oh."

Sesshoumaru strides along, directing An and Un behind him. They had yet to come across another village, as the last one was in ruins. Why in the seven hells did she have to call him Fluffy? Of all of the names, why that one? Granted, his tail was marvelously beautiful and fluffy, but sill. When villagers hear this, they no longer fear him; if they no longer fear the great Lord of the Western lands, they all must die. It is just the way things worked. This, of course, wasn't a problem for Sesshoumaru, hater of human kind. They are scum, fleas on the backbone of his society, and, being a dog demon, he did *not* like fleas. But at the same time, he does not want Rin to have to see such things. It was becoming a bother to find something for her to do while he takes care of things, and Jaken only made things worse.

"Sesshoumaru-sama, Rin sees a village!"

The demon lord looks ahead, temporarily broken out of his thoughts. Of course, no one could tell that anything had changed just by looking at him, but then again, they never could. Almost bemusedly, he raises an eyebrow, "Indeed." 

Up ahead of them lay a small, but rather desolate village. It seemed awfully familiar, though the dog demon couldn't quite put his finger on where he had seen it previously. It looked just like any other village, huts, worn buildings, crops, but something wasn't right. Where are the villagers? It was quiet, too quiet.

Stopping An and Un just outside of said village, Sesshoumaru turns. Putting a hand beneath each arm, the demon lord picks Rin up carefully, setting her on the ground and facing her towards the village. "Rin, look carefully. Does this village look familiar?"

"ummm..." She thinks for a moment. As soon as she realizes where they are, her face lights up and she grabs onto Sesshoumaru's leg. "Yes, Rin remembers! This is where that nice old lady that helped Rin! Can we go see her? Pleeaasseee Sesshoumaru-sama?"

So it's true; this IS the village, but we must be miles from where we encountered it. Not to mention that I destroyed that village.

"No Rin, we will move on."

The youkai lord turns and begins to lead his steed in the opposite direction. This smell... what kind of demon can bring back the forgotten?

Grudgingly, Rin turns around and then laughs brightly as she follows her lord, trying to catch the tip of his tail as it bobs behind him.

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Stupid wench, sitting with that wimpy wolf. Well, at least they're going to bed now. Wait, that means, keh, what do I care if he's sleeping next to her? Inu Yasha eyes him suspiciously, Well, if he tries anything I'll kill him He nods, completely satisfied with this answer.

After a while, everyone had dozed off. First Kagome slept, she always did go to sleep first. Weak humans. Next, Miroku went to sleep, and then Sango. Sango had refused to fall asleep before Miroku so that she could protect herself, just in case. Kouga, though reluctantly, fell asleep after Sango. Inu Yasha had been snarling at him for half of the night as he watched Kouga hover over Kagome's sleeping form. He wasn't allowed to watch her, only Inu Yasha could protect her. Well, whatever Kouga had planned, or hadn't really, nothing happened. He gave up and fell asleep knowing that if he didn't, he'd have a vengeful half demon after his hyde in the morning. Of course, that vengeful hanyou was still awake and enjoying his favorite nightly activity, watching Kagome.

Some time during the night she shifted. It was pretty common for her to wake up in the middle of the night, usually to take care of business or she'd come and visit with him, but she almost never tossed in her sleep. The only time he'd seen her do that was if she had been sick or was having... the nightmare.

Being as quiet as hanyouly possible, the dog demon left his perch and landed carefully next to the raven-haired girl. She seemed okay, no sweating, no bad facial expressions, just the tossing. He watched over her for a few more minutes and then turned to the night sky. It must have been around three o'clock her time. He turned to make sure that Kouga was still asleep. He was. Good.

Inu Yasha stood, about to jump up to his branch again, and stopped. Someone was awake. Slowly he crept back to camp, making sure to check on everyone. They were all asleep, but then, where was the whimpering coming from? 

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Man, I can't believe I fell asleep while dog-turd keeps watch. If anyone is going to protect Kagome it'll be me. Hm? I look to my left and there she is, sleeping like an angel. Good, I think haughtily, she *should* be sleeping well next to me. She'll need to get used to it.

Out of the corner of my eye I spot him; I don't think he knows that I'm awake. What's he doing? He actually looks kind of worried. I need to make sure he thinks I'm asleep. I can't be caught now. Yeah, there he goes, looking at me. Good, he doesn't know. I wonder what he was staring at in the sky. Oh well, it doesn't concern me. I'm just glad he's leaving.

Wait, why is he turning back? He's looking over all of us again. What's wrong with that stupid... hey, wait, is... is Kagome whimpering? I want to hold her, to comfort her. My mind starts to wonder what she could be dreaming about, but I'm immediately pulled form my thoughts. Inu Yasha has picked her up and is carrying her somewhere?! Damnit, if I move he'll know that I'm awake and then he'll yell, waking Kagome. She needs her sleep, but I can't let him, oh screw it. Even if he didn't yell at me we'd fight and she'd wake up; there's nothing I can do for now, but tomorrow I'll show them both. Tomorrow will be my day.

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As soon as I picked her up she stopped whining. I stop, holding her tenderly, waiting to hear her breathing or for her to wake up and scream at me. Honestly, I prefer the first. Good, she's still asleep. Absently, I rub a tear from her eye as I shift her in my arms. I jump up to my branch and settle her down in front of me. If I leave her be she'll fall. My arms wrap around her slender waist; there'll be no sleep for me tonight.

I watch as she sighs. She shivers slightly so I tighten my hold on her. She snuggles up to me; it's probably just because I'm warm. I wonder if she has any idea what she's doing.

I take in her scent hungrily; it's so beautiful, so pure. She feels so good within my arms, curled against my chest. I love her. There's no denying it; I love her. My eyelids become heavy, but I can't sleep; I'm not tired. My senses swim; how can she do this to me? My hands make small, circular patterns on her stomach and my grip tightens around her. I'm getting drowsy, but why? She just... it just feels so right.

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The stars twinkle above the group like fireflies on a summer night. Morning will be soon arriving, but for now, all lay peacefully, deep in slumber. Some time during the night and into the beginning of the morning things had been moved slightly. Miroku and Sango were a little closer, though neither of them consciously aware of it, and Kouga looked more like a happy kitten than a wolf. The fire had died down leaving nothing but smoldering coals and some ashes; the sticks from cooking the night before completely used up. A slight movement breaks the serenity, but nothing else. There is no noise, so sound, just a gentle motion.

I mus' 'till be 'sleep, the hanyou mumbled inside his own mind. He had just woken up; he always woke before anyone else. He could feel a body in his arms and the gentleness of its warmth trying to lull him back into a deeper slumber. Briefly he had wondered who they were and why they were in the tree with him, but as a gentle scent wafted to his sensitive nose, he knew it was Kagome.

She'd neva le' me hol' her. Sleepily he decided that he was still dreaming. He often dreamt of holding her and, in his dream, the next logical step would be for her to wake up, then he'd kiss her. That was simple enough. After a few more slurred moments went by and she still hadn't woken, he wondered what was different. Maybe he just needed to sleep a little longer. 

Gently he lowered his chin onto her shoulder and nuzzled her cheek gently. He buried his face in her hair and nuzzled her ear. Gods she was soft. His eyelids, refusing to stay open, drooped even lower and he inhaled deeply. He had never had a dream seem this real to him, but it didn't bother him any. He could feel her pulse as her blood rushed quickly beneath her pale skin. For a dream, this was too real. He cuddled against her neck and sighed contentedly. Now, if she'd only let him do this in real life. Well, what to do now? He had never really been this close to anyone before; he had certainly never felt this way about anyone before. Even in his sleep he needed her, though his lack of energy muted this somewhat, but he still wanted her. Well, what to do now? Silently he counted off what he had done already. He hadn't seen her; he'd save that for the end. He had smelled her, and gods did she ever smell heavenly. He had felt her in lots of ways, against him, felt her skin, felt her breath as she slept, and had buried his face in her hair. Well, he hadn't tasted her yet; I guess that's a good place to start.

Nodding resolutely, he leaned down and licked her neck, if shyly at first. If I ever did this 'n real life she'd kill me. Smiling, he savored the taste a bit before licking behind her ear. Mmmm, neck was better.

After a short while he decided that he liked her neck the best. It was soft and warm, flowing with life and rhythm. He could hear her heart and feel her pulse from there. He could tell her temperature and smell her scent most clearly from there. And, most importantly, he had access to almost anything from there. Tenderly he grazed a fang over her neck. He made sure not to damage this dream Kagome in any way, but he still applied enough pressure that she'd know he was there. She moaned softly, curling against him a little more. Unbeknownst to him, he was a little more awake now. His consciousness hadn't quite come to yet, but everything else certainly had. Closing his eyes, his lips parted slightly and he kissed her throat. He licked her again, kissed her, and then ran his fang across the expanse of smooth skin over and over again, each time getting slightly bolder. His fangs no longer gently grazed the surface of her skin, but now left a small scratch in its wake; the kisses that had once been chaste and sweet were turning more and more quickly into nips and soft bites. He still licked her, almost as if apologizing for being rougher with her. As he continued, she snuggled more and more closely against him, exposing her neck more with each movement, and practically drawing him towards her. Her hands entwined in his hair and clasped behind his head, pulling it closer and giving him better access to her. He nibbled and licked, stopping only once to breathe in her intoxicating scent. It was stronger now and sent shivers up his spine. This was the most realistic dream he had ever had.

His grip on her waist tightened even more as he drew her towards him. He raised a claw and tentatively brushed aside any stray hairs left in his way. The nibbles became bites and, as his hunger deepened, her moans became louder and more frequent. They weren't loud enough to be heard by the others, but he could hear them, and they encouraged the feelings deep within his soul. He needed her; he wanted her, and whether he knew that or not, his body certainly did. His instincts began to take over and he trembled, each bite bringing them closer together. His teeth now surrounded half of the width of her neck, the bites becoming larger and deeper. If it hurt she gave no indication, and he quickly bit her again. He pulled back, opened his mouth as far as he could and quickly pressed his fangs to her throat. She began to squirm, but he held fast. He could feel himself digging into her tender flesh, almost there.

"Hey dog-turd, let go of my woman!"

Startled the hanyou jumped back, waking the sleeping girl in his arms. 

"I... Inu Yasha?" Noticing where she was, she shrieked and clung to him, then looked into his wide, confused eyes and backed off a little. "What am I doing in this tree?"

"Well... I...um... you see, you were sleeping and..."

She sighed and started rubbing her neck, "Look, I really don't want to know right now. Can you just let me down?"

"Kagome, you okay?"

"Hm?" She looked down towards the wolf prince, "Yeah, my neck is just a little sore this morning. I probably just had it at a weird angle last night." She yawned and stretched fully, almost falling out of the tree. When she began to slip, she yelped and Inu Yasha caught her quickly. He pulled her back onto the tree and held her tightly"

"Kagome-sama, are you okay?" Everyone had woken upon hearing her shriek.

"Yeah, I'm fine." She started to try and worm her way out of Inu Yasha's grasp, but he wouldn't let her go. "Inu Yasha, knock it off would you? Let me down!"

"Feh, and get yourself killed, no."

"Come on!" she struggled more, but the more she squirmed, the tighter his hold got. "Inu Yasha, this isn't funny."

"I'm not letting you get yourself killed so stop squirming!"

"Inu Yasha!"

"Kagome, knock it off!"

"Then let me go!"

"No! Calm down first!"

"Let me...," she stopped and swallowed a large lump in her throat. Sango looked to Miroku with an expression of pure bewilderment. Miroku was baffled as well. Only Shippou and Kouga recognized what had happened; Inu Yasha had no idea the implications his actions had formed.

He sat there, in the tree with Kagome, same as before. His arms were still around her waist and her hands were still on them, arms taunt, frozen in an action to escape. The only difference was a slight pressure on the back of Kagome's neck. When the initial shock wore off, she stammered and tried to wiggle again, but he only pressed his fangs down a little more, coming up only to utter one phrase, "No."

She stopped. She wasn't angry anymore, and she wasn't scared. She didn't want to get away, but instead felt kind of... guilty? Kagome turned to look at him over her shoulder. She stared, brown eyes glittering with curiosity and surprise. In return, he simply picked her up and jumped down out of the tree, setting her on her feet gently.

He then walked off to find them something to eat for breakfast leaving two confused humans, two shocked demons, and a curious young miko behind. He didn't want ramen for breakfast.


	17. Living Death

Here's the actual story stuff.^_^ And no, there is no Kikyo here.^_^ Muahahaha! Okay, so I know you guys want to know or, if you think you know, make sure why Inu Yasha held Kagome with his fangs like that (he never ACTUALLY bit her.^_~ Well... you know what I mean.). Sorry, but not this chapter. Aren't I evil? It'll some somewhere later.^_^ As for the Kohaku VS Gohaku thing, I like Kohaku more so I use that okay? Heh, it reminds me of Spirited Away.^_^ I LOVE that movie! As for the rest, I think I like ghost stories far too much.^_^; lol Even though they aren't really ghosts per say... anyway, you'll see.^_^ lol 

On another topic, I saw this shirt that was kind of funny, but it SO reminded me of Miroku! Lol The shirt said "WARNING: The person wearing this shirt will make a pass at anything that moves. If you are not approached there can be only one reason; YOU UGLY!" Heh, it's kind of cruel, but I thought of all of the times Miroku has hit on a pretty girl and gotten her sister instead.^_^; lol Poor guy.

Lastly, to all of the new readers, welcome, and to everyone reading the fic in general, thanks sooo much!^_^ I love you guys!^_^

Now, on with the... um... fic... I guess.

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Disclaimer: I don't own Inuyasha or any of the characters in it. If I did I'd be rich, but I'm not... and if I had lots of money I'd probably spend it on anime anyway so pleeaasseee, don't sue me.^_^ lol

Oh, and as always,

_= thoughts *_* = sound/ italicized "_" = speech

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Memories of the Present

Chapter 17: Living Death

"AAHH!!! YOUKAI! Run!"

"Not my baby, MY BABY!"

"Hurry, attack while we can! We can't let it escape; not this time!"

"It's destroying the village!"

"Run! Everyone ru... AHH!!!!"

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"uummm...daddy..."

Inu Yasha looked worriedly over his shoulder, The dream again?

Kagome lay asleep against Inu Yasha's back. When he had come back from his hunt that morning, they had eaten and left, continuing on their journey. Nothing out of the ordinary had happened that day, well, despite the scene that took place before sunrise, and as of yet, neither Shippou nor Kouga had mentioned anything about what had taken place, but for each their own reasons. As the group moved forth, Inu Yasha carried Kagome, his rhythmic movements and soft steps quickly putting her to sleep, where she had stayed for close to an hour and a half now. In that time, they had made their way into the mountains. It was still early morning and the chilled air made it that much more difficult to breathe, but they were running out of time. The demon must be found.

Taking in their surroundings, Kouga informed them that there should be a village up ahead. Inu Yasha turned forward as if nothing had changed. He was worried about Kagome; those dreams she'd been having since the new moon really concerned him, but damned if he was going to admit that to anyone else. It was only a matter of minutes before the town came into view, but what they noticed the first was a dark air that seemed to surround it. Then again, what didn't have that these days?

"Can you sense it?" Miroku looks to the others, grasping his staff a little more firmly. They nod and continue on. Unconsciously the hanyou tightens his grip on the curled form against him. They were all on edge. 

The village was a wasteland, or so they thought. As they entered the gates they saw a thriving town before them. To their right was a small group of huts. They looked newly built, though some were damaged. Everything glistened as if it had rained recently, yet the ground was completely dry. To their left, fields seemed almost to reach towards the sun as they disappeared over the horizon. People walked around happily accomplishing their daily tasks, and a small group of children, maybe four in total, played a simple game near one of the huts. Shippou's ears perked up; he wanted to play.

Coming up to the largest house in the village, Miroku put together his usual speech to see if they could have a free room for the night, but, looking around, this time he feared that it may indeed be more than just another speech. A man came to the door; by the way he was dressed he was obviously the lord of this mansion. The door opened without a sound and the man beckoned our travelers in. Kagome opened her eyes and grudgingly pulled herself from the heaven of her blissful slumber. She peered over Inu Yasha's shoulder and saw the man walk without a footstep, without a sound. She then looked around the rest of the village. It looked peaceful enough, the people going about their duties and daily routines, the children playing, but there was an eerie silence.

"Inu Yasha," she whispered as softly as she could, "can you hear it? There's no sounds, not even that of animals or the wind." He nodded and took a deep breath. Taking one last look around, they entered the mansion and followed this strange man.

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"It was not always like this," the parchment read, "we once had a peaceful village. Our mothers played happily with their children and work was done as it had always been done. Through the window to your left there was a forest, though I'm sure you can still see it now. Look there, through the window, what do you see? A little girl with auburn hair, cut to her shoulders? Is she wearing a light blue kimono and dancing, playing in the tall, vibrant grasses that roam this small oasis of forest? I suppose she is still there; she has been for fifty years. Do you also see three butterflies, one white with black spots, the other two brown? Do they flutter around her face as she tries to catch them with no luck? Of course you do; you see them as I did. That was my daughter." With a look through the window, it is seen that the parchment read true. There was the girl, the grass, and the butterflies. The skies beyond the house begin to darken and rain begins to descend upon the village.

"And through the other window I suppose you see a woman hanging white clothing out on the line and her husband fixing their tattered roof. He was the finest craftsman we had. The rains had just come when it happened." Through the other window a woman began to panic and quickly took down her laundry. Her husband, they assume so from the letter, came down from their roof and helped her, then ushered their children inside, away from the downpour.

"There is not much I can tell you of this land. If I could speak I would explain what has happened, but my time is running short. I can only say that there is a demon here, the bestower of living death. A contrast you say? Yes, well, you'll soon see, or hopefully, you won't. Look around our village at the life that once was. Do it while we are still here, fore I pray that you may do away with this demon, and we may be free at last. My time has run out. Please, who ever you may be, stop this from happening to another; protect yourselves and the ones you love, as I have failed to do. I pray for your good fortune."

"It has no signature."

The young miko holds the scroll as if it would bite her. Slowly, she begins to put it back on the table from whence it came, but soon no longer has that choice, as the once solid document fades into nothingness and slips between her fingers, dissolving on the ground. Shocked, she gasps and turns away finding none other than the mansion's lord in the doorway. He had returned with two of his servants, and now looks towards the group sadly. He watches the little girl playing through the window with grief-stricken eyes and lets out heavy sigh. Though none of the group can hear it, they can tell that it is full of longing and anguish; his features reveal that, and much more. He then snaps his fingers and the servants bow. All life in the mansion is gone, and emptiness has taken its place.

"Well, that was weird." All turn to Kouga who is leaning nonchalantly against the left wall. 

Miroku clears his throat, "I suggest we do as he asked and see the village. Maybe it can turn up some clue as to what happened here."

Sango nods, "I agree houshi-sama, but we shouldn't go alone."

"Ahhh, true. Inu Yasha can go with Kagome-sama and Shippou-chan. I'll go with you Sango... oh, and Kouga of course. We don't know what's going on so we have to be careful." 

"Right."

"Right."

"Right."

"Right."

"Feh."

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"Sango, are you cold?" Miroku undoes his outer robe and hands it to her.

"No houshi-sama, but thank you." She happily takes it and puts it on anyway. As his scent fills her nostrils, the young woman begins to calm a bit, and pulls the robe more closely around her. Kouga had left them to check out a suspicious hut ten minutes ago and had yet to return. His absence was unnerving to say the least and the fact that he, a full demon, would take this long to check out a hut, well, it was putting them both on guard. 

"This place is creepy. It's almost as if it we are surrounded by a shroud of misery and sorrow, but the scenes here are so peaceful." She shudders and he nods.

"I've noticed." Their steps stop at a small hut as they look towards the sky and watch the rain fall. 

"It's odd, seeing rain and not being able to feel it." All of a sudden a little boy runs out of his house and over to some of his friends. As he runs, his short, black hair comes untied and his bright blue eyes sine with joy. His little sister chases after him, but falls and scrapes her knee. She sits up, snffling, her dark hair matted to her face in the rain, she starts crying. Hearing her, the boy turns and begins to head back to the mousy little girl, another of the group following. Sango hurries over and, tenderly, tries to pick the girl up, but her hands phase straight through her. Startled, the demon huntress backs up and looks as the mother is exactly where she had stood, now picking her daughter up off of the ground and bringing her back into the house. Shaking, Sango looks down. Her hands are tainted with blood.

The little boy runs into the house, trailing his mother and sister. His friend stops in front of Sango and turns towards her. His face hidden under his bangs, he grabs her leg and says the first thing they had heard from someone of that village, "I'm sorry." The little boy looks up to her, dark bangs falling from his face.

"Ko... Kohaku?" 

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"Sango?" Miroku walks carefully over to the demon hunter and puts his hand on her shoulder. Her face is contorted in a horrible mix of shock, pain, and sorrow. He shakes her, slightly at first, and then a little harder. "Sango, what's wrong? Sango?" She continues to stare at her hands, mumbling something about blood.

A noise behind him causes the houshi to spin and take up guard. Sango didn't seem very capable of defending herself at the moment and he wouldn't allow anything to happen to her. The sound had come from the hut where the mother, the girl, and the son had fled just a few minutes before. Now a man, supposedly the father, walks out and yells at the rest of the kids in the group, seemingly with no voice. They scatter, heading home perhaps; no one really knows. Then the man, instead of going back inside, turns and walks towards Miroku. He comes closer and closer, the monk raises his staff and prepares to defend himself. Closer and closer, Miroku's eyes widen. The figure walks by him, stops suddenly, and turns, "It is good to see you my son."

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"W...what are you doing?!," the flustered hanyou shouts as Kagome tackles his arm.

"This place is creepy!"

"Oh, so that's why you're on my shoulder?"

She looks towards him curiously and smirks; "You almost sound disappointed."

"I...I... of course I'm not disappointed! If you're so scared, why don't you hug Shippou?!"

"I am." She smiles dryly. They had decided to look around the fields and woods about twenty minutes ago, but so far hadn't seen anything suspicious. Kagome was holding Shippou protectively as he curled into her arms, and Inu Yasha was beginning to get annoyed with the little cub.

Why does he get all of her attention?

"Don't worry, I'll protect you," Shippou says trying to sound brave. His trembling voice gives him away, but he hops down in front of Kagome and crosses his arms over his chest anyway. He was trying to look tough.

Kagome giggles softly and pats him on the head; "Thank you Shippou, you're my hero," she says playfully.

"Keh." After all of the times I've saved her life, you think *I'd* be her hero, but noooooo!!! He grumbles, "stupid Shippou..."

"Same to you dog-boy."

Sending a death glare Shippou's way, Inu Yasha just pouts and folds his arms over his chest in his typical style. At that moment, Kagome could really see them as father and son. She blushes and turns her head away trying to suppress a giggle. When she turns back she stops and looks around; she's alone.

"Inu Yasha? Shippou? Where are you?!" She hunts fruitlessly through a few huts and, without finding anything is about to give up when she sees a red blur out of the corner of her eye. She runs after it, but it runs quickly, much too quickly for her to keep up. "Wait, Inu Yasha, wait! Where are you going?" He only picks up speed and heads down a few more trails. Left, right, left, right, right, left, wait, she stops, he's gone. Completely out of breath, she leans against a wall and sighs. "What's going on here?"

She sighs again, deciding that it'd probably be best if she kept looking. As she begins to walk again, an odd feeling sweeps over her, almost like she's being watched. Thinking she's just imagining it, she moves on, but not without looking over her shoulder every couple of seconds. Kagome, you're just imagining it! Knock it off!

A sound to her right startles her, Wait, there is no sound here so that must be one of the gang! Once again running, her breath quickly gives way to a pain in her side, and she slows down, tripping over something. She looks back; what did she trip over? A shoe?

"Need help honey?"

"Wha...no, thanks, I..." Her jaw goes slack and her eyes burst open, tears spilling forth from within their depths. Heart racing, her stomach flips and she rises to her feet, sodden uniform hugging tightly to a small wound on her leg. "D...Daddy?"

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"Some protector you are!" Inu Yasha bops Shippou over the head with his fist.

"Yeah, like you did any better! You lost her too you know." He pouts and then ducks as the hanyou reaches down to grab him. He laughs and sticks his tongue out when Inu Yasha snags his tail and lifts him up. "Hey, let me go! Let me mummphmm"

"Shhh...Shippou, quiet!" The kitsune bites his hand. "Shit!"

"What's your problem?"

"Keh, what kind of demon are you?! Can't you smell it?"

The fox youkai sniffs the air for a second. "It's a demon, so what? There are probably hundreds out here in the...woah!"

Inu Yasha grabs him and runs. It was no ordinary demon, but Shippou was too little to know that smell. It was the smell of a bird youkai, but not just any. The demon reeked of blood and sorrow. So many humans, so much death; he could smell them all and nearly choked. Not only that, he could hear them all. This place wasn't as quiet as the others had thought. They had human hearing, he didn't. The village moaned and groaned with hundreds of voices, lost souls crying for help. He could barely hear them, but what's more, he could sense them. The village they saw wasn't what they were after. It wasn't real. This demon was one of legend, of magic, one that was thought impossible to exist. It had no name, no soul. It just was.

Coming upon the front gate, Shippou looks up and screams. 


	18. More Filler! Dementia and the Snake Demo...

I'm too tired to check over this before I post it, but I do have a few things to address. ^_~ First off, sorry this took so long, but I'm having MAJOR blockage with this chapter. I have/ had no idea how to connect the chapter with them camping and the one that will HOPEFULLY be next. Secondly, this is probably not going to be that great of a chapter because of this (and the fact that it's late and I'm tired.~_~), but I'll work on the next one and try and have it up tomorrow (today depending on when I post this). That one I have been looking forward to for a little while.^_^ It has demon fighting and Fluffy and... um... stuff! And, if it isn't too long already, it might have an explanation for the bite.^_~! Yay! Lol But yeah, so I apologize in advance okay? Please forgive me!^_^;

Oh, and replies, yay!^_^

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crispy muffin- _I bet he feeds on blood and sorrow right?_

Damned straight!

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please answer the bite thing in the next chapter. 

Actually, you may have to wait another chapter, two at absolute most, promise. Heh, I figured that I'd make the best out of the explanation and have a certain someone embarrass them with the answer. Heh.

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StDogbert-_Wait.should Kohaku be there? He's not dead, he's just NEAR death..._

Heh, yeah, but no worries, I love pointing out plot holes so this has been avoided.^_~ Notice how only the ones that come in contact with them can speak, the rest can not? There is a difference between them, and you'll find out what it is here! Hey, good eye by the way.^_~ I love all your questions!^_^ Now, if I could only figure out a way to bring Kirara back into this...I kind of forgot about her.^_^;;; lol

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Disclaimer: I don't own Inuyasha or any of the characters in it. If I did I'd be rich, but I'm not... and if I had lots of money I'd probably spend it on anime anyway so pleeaasseee, don't sue me.^_^ lol

Oh, and as always,

_= thoughts *_* = sound/ italicized "_" = speech

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Memories of the Present

Chapter 18: More Filler! Dementia and the Snake Demon

" Inu Yasha, Shippou, there you are!"

I turned and darted towards Kagome's voice. She'd been missing for a while now; I had almost begun to worry. 

Feh, almost?, my thoughts prodded me.

Shut up.

As I rounded the corner, there, before me, was a light in the darkness. She stood about halfway across the village from where I was, over by the gates. A flood of relief washed over me, almost knocking me over with its force. 

I'm just glad she didn't get herself killed She began to run across the square, slowly closing the distance between us. And, to my, not all that unhappy, surprise, she was...

She's... waving? She bolted across the dirt and laughed cheerfully, apparently completely unaware of what was behind her. I jerked stopped and stepped back a second, heart catching in my throat. 

In a painful effort to swallow, I did the best thing I could think of, "Oi, Kagome, what the hell are you doing?! Get out of the way!" I stuck my foot in my mouth 

A look of confusion crossed her face and she turned around quickly, probably looking for signs of danger. My jaw dropped; she did nothing! She just turned back, shrugged, and looked at me questioningly. What could I do? I braced myself and grabbed the Tetssusaiga, preparing to guard her with my life. 

What in the seven hells is she THINKING? 

I snarled, ears laid back against my skull, almost eagerly awaiting the fight to protect her, but it didn't budge. The creature was buried in the shadows of a hut just behind Kagome. It watched the scene with hollow eyes, taking in every minute detail of what was going on. Other than its eyes, every other feature was carefully masked within the darkness; it was silent, unseen, but I knew it was there. I could feel it. 

Kagome began running again, her body movements seeming to portray no more worry than had been there before. As she neared, I couldn't help but gasp. Smelling the blood on her, I quickly identified it as being from a deep gash on her leg. (it was a small wound when you saw her.^_~) Blood seemed to seep from every pore, but she wasn't affected at all; she was still running as if she hadn't even noticed its presence. The closer she came, the more I could see, and the further my mind begged to leave this god-forsaken place. The wound had become slightly infected, and the skin around it seemed to have changed to represent the heat it was giving off. The creamy flesh, once pure and soft, was now red, flaking and falling in chunks, spreading the gash and the sickness even further with every step she took. It blistered slightly, making a pattern of almost scale-like welts all along her outer thigh. I cringed at the sight and tried to focus on her beautiful smile instead.

Her expression was one of pure joy, and yet it made my heart stop. Her eyes, her beautiful chocolate-brown eyes were vacant, glittering pools of blackened ooze eating away at her soul. They were no longer depthless, and now showed nothing aside from the way the ooze flowed back and forth, bubbling within her sockets, wiggling and jiggling at even the slightest movement. Her sweet fragrance had a slightly musty tinge to it mixed in with the scent of her blood and the infection; it was stale and reeked of sickness. My nose burned and I took a step back. What hadn't I smelled this before?! Come to think of it, there were no scents there when I came. How had I not noticed? What was going on? The answer was right in front of me; the demon was still behind her, probably masking their scents as not to arouse suspicion. I hadn't even noticed that she had reached me until she was inches from my face, looking pleadingly into my eyes.

"Ka...Kagome?" Why was she looking at me like that? She almost looked... confused?

"Inu Yasha," she gently tugged on my arm, "why are you looking at me like that?" 

Looking down into those lifeless orbs, I felt all confidence being sucked away, and I reached out to grab her. "Kagome, what the fuck is going on?" Instead of being angry or yelling, she simply stared at me as if I were crazy. I didn't like that look; it chilled me to the bone.

Shrugging it off, she smiled at me and pulled on the arm already within her grasp, "You know, if I wasn't in such a good mood I'd say the word, but I have something more important to show you! Come on Inu Yasha, you too Shippou!"

Shit, I had forgotten about Shippou! No longer in my hand, the kitsune cub lay unconscious on the ground. His hair was mussed, face frozen with a look of utter shock and terror. His little clothes were covered from head to toe with dust and soot. A small black droplet fell onto his cheek, forging its way across his skin and flowing down his face. Kagome was crying.

Shocked, I looked to see what was wrong and found her still standing in front of me, though a little closer now. Her shoulders shook and she gripped her head in her hands tightly. Her face was lowered, bangs covering her expression, yet showing enough that I could see her cringing. "Wha...Kagome, what's wrong?!"

Idiot, what's *right* with this picture?!, my mind screamed, but I tried to ignore it; Kagome needed me.

"Shi...," she muttered weakly. I leaned closer, "Shippou...Inu Yasha,...h... help..." Shaking her shoulders, I raised her face and she jumped as if she had been pricked. Her eyes immediately burst open and she looked up into mine, causing me to shiver. Those eyes, it felt as if I were being draw in, sucked into an empty, ageless void of darkness and sorrow. I shuddered again and pushed her back to arm's length; I couldn't stand the intense glaze from those pits and longer.

As if nothing had happened, she picked Shippou up off of the ground and smiled brightly, holding him in her arms, "That's better Shippou! You'll be so happy when you see!" A swirl of red appeared for a second deep within the pools, and a small section of her hand blazed with an unholy ruby light. 

Turning her hand over in mine, I realized that that wasn't the only red section there. The entire underside of her arm was infused with a red vein, glowing brightly against her pale flesh. I followed the vein, getting a surprised squeak from Kagome, but I didn't care. I had to find out what was happening to her! I could only follow it as high as her shoulder when she ripped herself away from me, pulling my arm once again, and running back to where she had first been. I escaped her grasp, and she ran off with Shippou. 

"Shit." I had to follow her.

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It's close now...

"Rin, stay here. Practice your painting."

"Yes Sesshoumaru-sama!" The dark-haired little girl plucks a few painting supplies out of An and Un's leather saddle bag. Turning, she finds the nearest tree stump and, making sure it isn't too tall for her, spreads the supplies upon it. "Can I paint you?"

"No Rin. I have to go now; stay here and take care of An and Un until I return."

" Yes Fluffy!" Sesshoumaru cringes slightly, eye twitching. He soon recovers and strolls off, leaving little Rin to fend for herself.

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Now, where is it coming from? The youkai concentrates, pinpointing the source of his prey. He corners the disturbance in the area towards the north. Turning to leave, he is taken back when a scream pierces through the air. With a jolt, all trees in the area begin to sway fiercely, as if assaulted by an unseen wind. Glimmering white hair flows behind as he dashes through the forest with a speed that only a demon could muster.

Rin, I'm coming.

A snake demon, still in human form, sat where Rin had once been. The clearing was scattered with various brushes and ink paintings, but there was no sign of his charge. Looking at the satisfied smile growing on the demon's face, it was evident what had occurred. Sesshoumaru snarls, a deep growl building within his throat. They DARE hurt *his* Rin?! In one smooth motion, his whip is out, and the demon's head on the ground. Pulling up his sleeves, he thrusts his hand deeply within its body using his poison claw to disintegrate the tissue before it can even touch his skin. Careful not to hurt Rin, he digs lower, carefully vaporizing the flesh around her small form. The clawed hand returns to normal, and he grabs the girl by the collar of her checkered kimono, pulling her out of harm's way. With the same, dull, lifeless expression he cradles the girl and pats her back. She bolts upright, coughing and sputtering, and quickly grabs hold of his haori with all of her strength. 

"Sesshoumaru-sama, Rin was so scared!"

"Did you practice?"

"What? Oh, yes Sesshoumaru-sama! Look at this one!" She runs and grabs one of the paintings from the edge of the clearing, surprised that she had let something like that make her forget about her picture for the demon lord. She quickly returns, smiling innocently, as only a child could, and produces her picture for him to see, "See, that is Flu...Sesshoumaru-sama, and that is Rin, and that," she points excitedly towards a small, groveling blob, " is Jaken. He's walking with An and Un and begging your forgiveness! "

An intrigued eyebrow makes itself known as he stares down upon the little girl, "And why is he groveling Rin?"

"Because," she says matter-of-factly, "if he's not begging he's flattering you, and Rin did not do a good enough job on Sesshoumaru-sama to be flattered."

"Hmmm... indeed. Come Rin, we must leave." 

"Yes Sess-chan!"

"Sess-chan?"

"Well, Seshoumaru-sama does not want to be called Fluffy right?

"No."

"Then you'll be Sess-chan!"

Why does she keep giving me nicknames? It's not like I, the great Sesshoumaru, could have a better name than the one I have now. Well, at least it's better than Fluffy.

"Very well, come Rin."

"Hai!"

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"There you are! It's about time you showed up!"

A hanyou in red had just entered a barren area near the gates. His flowing white was hair blazed behind him, slightly tangled with a black substance, and his eyes glistened with determination and poorly-concealed worry. A scowl that had been etched into his features was in its rightful place, and his clawed hand lightly, but steadily, grazed against the sword at his side. Before him stood Kagome with Shippou, a fully awake and smiling Shippou. 

"Come on Inu Yasha! Kagome has been waiting for you! Come, meet her father! He's so nice!"

He was momentarily taken back, "F...father?"

Out of nowhere, a tall man stepped from behind the young miko. He was about a head taller than Inu Yasha, and had medium-length black hair, the same color as Kagome's. His eyes were blue and sparkled brightly as he strode forward confidently, wearing an extremely expensive business suit, clothing that the hanyou had never seen in his time. The man smiled devilishly and patted Kagome on the head gently, getting an excited squeal of admiration and a hug from his "daughter". "And who's this sweetheart?"

The pools of sludge widened and she smiled brightly, "Daddy, this is Inu Yasha. Behind him are Miroku, Sango, and Kouga. They're my best friends and traveling companions."

Miroku... Sango... and Kouga?

As if knowing what he was thinking, Kagome spoke in a soft, honeyed tone, "Yes Inu Yasha, they're all here." She walked up to him slowly placing Shippou by her "father's" feet. Eyes half closed, she leaned her head against his shoulder and cradled his face within her hand. He grimaced as her heated flesh touched him; the smell of sickness was almost over-powering. "We're all here, so why don't you join us? I know of at least one more person who'll be happy to see you." Removing her hand from his face, she gestured to where she had just stood, the wall now resembling shaken gelatin more than anything else.

As it morphed, it bulged and shrank to fit its destined shape. It soon took its final form, the form of a woman, one a little taller than he. Silky raven tresses cascaded down her shoulders, slightly pressed against her chin. She was covered in layers upon layers of pinks, blues, and reds, flowing graciously over her feminine body. Eyes sparkling with unshed tears, she reached out, extending her arms to her "son". She was as beautiful as he remembered.

"Keh, she's not my mother."

Shocked, Kagome recoiled and glared at the hanyou, "Inu Yasha, how could you?!"

Snorting, Inu Yasha responded dryly, voice void of any emotion. "My mother's been dead a long time, and so has your father." He turned towards the shadows, "Come out youkai, I know you're there."

"Perceptive little pain aren't you?," a fiendish voice hissed; the words almost seemed to slither out of is mouth. 

Inu Yasha grinned smugly, "I try." In an instant he was airborne, swiping fiercely at Kagome's "father". "Sankon Tessou!"

A shrill cry cut through the air, and a high pitched squawk was released as the man was slashed to bits, sending Kagome flying to the ground. She was caught abruptly, yet still no more conscious than when she had collapsed. Looking down at her, his heart swelled slightly; the ooze was fleeing hastily from atop her face, safely and reassuringly dripping into a newly formed puddle in the dirt next to them.

"Ugnnn...I...Inu...Yasha? That you?" She sat up, cupping her face in her hands.

"Keh, well," he looked away, smirking and blushing deeply, "who'd you expect?" He stood her up, and helped her regain her balance. Sniffing curiously, the hanyou circled her, causing her to clamp down on her skirt and blush, jumping back a few centimeters in the process.

"What do you think you're doing?! You look like a hawk!"

Considering the demon in front of them (you'll see what I mean next chapter), a reference was subconsciously made and his anger flared. "I'm just making sure you're not... well, that you're back to normal! You should be thanking me!"

"Thanking you?! It's your fault for ditching me in the first place!"

"WHAT?! You're the one who ditched us!"

"Kagome..." Even as the man walked to face them, the once sweet, vibrant green grass faded into a blackened mud and all of the flowers shriveled and died at their feet. The trees faded, becoming nothing more than old, burned stumps, and the air was choked with the smoke, which seemed to pour from this man's mouth. 

Maneuvering his way in between them, Inu Yasha draws the Tetssusaiga and points its glimmering mass intently upon its target. "Kagome, stay away from him. He is not your father, just as that is not my mother."

"So you little half-demon whelp, you think you know how to defeat me? You may know how to break the spell, but you're out of your league. Leave the woman and run. Maybe then I'll let you live."

Inu Yasha's focus remained forward, but his words echoed back, "Kagome, run."

"What?!" 

"You arrows," he whispered, still not taking his eyes off of the enemy, "They're still at the mansion. Get them and hurry back. I need you to free the others while I'm busy."

Free the others? Looking behind her, Kagome's legs threatened to give way. The sight of her friends like that filled her with an unbearable urge to slaughter who ever had hurt them, but there was no time for that; Inu Yasha was right. She had to get a weapon before she could fight.

"Right." She nodded and looked around. Scooting away from them subtly, she took off for the mansion at top speed, only to fall half of the way across the clearing, pain shooting up her leg. What's that?!

The wound, once a small scratch, now covered her leg entirely. It had grown a great deal since Inu Yasha had noticed it, and, though her connection with the youkai was cut off, it did little more than slow down the decay. Every time she moved it ached, spreading the scale-like welts that now covered half of her thigh. Groaning softly, she tried to get up and stumbled, tearing a gash across the back of her knee in the fall and hitting her head on one of the many stones on the path. Blood began to seep from the wounds in amazing doses, causing the world to spin and, as her consciousness was ebbed away, the blackness began to come once again. The tendons wounded, there was no way she'd be going anywhere now; Inu Yasha was on his own.

(I know I'm repeating myself and picking on her a lot, sorry, but she's there and it would be too convenient for her to make it to her quiver and arrows so easily.^_^; I had to think of something!^_^;;; lol)


	19. The Mark, the Disease, and the Cure

Lol yeah, once again sorry for picking on Kagome so much, but that just makes her all the stronger when she picks up her share of the fight in spite of the wounds, right?^_^ Yeah, so anyway, fun stuff, fighting, a bit of Sesshoumaru goodness, an explanation on both the bite and the fang hold, and that about sums it up.^_^ I had fun with this chapter.^_~

NOTE: You may want to notice this for this chapter; you know how the phoenix is a bird, the symbol of eternal life? Well, this fire bird is the symbol of eternal life...through death. Muahahaha!

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Disclaimer: I don't own Inuyasha or any of the characters in it. If I did I'd be rich, but I'm not... and if I had lots of money I'd probably spend it on anime anyway so pleeaasseee, don't sue me.^_^ lol

Oh, and as always,

_= thoughts *_* = sound/ italicized "_" = speech

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Memories of the Present

Chapter 19: The Mark, the Disease, and the Cure

" Come my children, and claim what is yours!"

With a sadistic laugh, the demon thrust from the safe envelope of the darkness as three figures emerged from their shadow prisons. The demon was about as tall as Sesshoumaru in his youkai form and burned a feral red. Its dark eyes were pools of nothing, floating within glowing crimson sockets, and its body was covered in large, thick, vibrant feathers, each of which faded from black at the top, to red, then had a light blue emblem on the bottom. Around its neck it wore a necklace similar to the rosary, but instead of beads it was compiled of human heads, and around its ankles, if that's what you'd call them, were two bands which consumed the rest of the human bones. The great beast lunged forward, grasping at thin air. With its wings extended, it commanded it's "children" to go forth, and they did.

Each one went to their respective person: a small child to Sango's prison; an older man to Miroku's; a mother to Inu Yasha, and a father to Kagome. Behind them all, Shippou stood, but not alone. He was at the foot of the great beast, curled up with his mother and father. But, out of all whom were there, no one got a warmer "welcome" than Kouga. To each their own person, but Kouga, he did not have but one person; he had two entire tribes of wolf demon, the ones that were killed by Kagura at Naraku's fortress.

Upon reaching their destined, the familiar black sludge secreted from each of their hands. As the clones moved closer, hands and bodies almost touching their prisoners, a scream was heard. It was Kagome.

She couldn't run, she couldn't move. The pain searing up her leg throbbed in her ears. She could see her father, but after seeing him die a few minutes before, she knew it wasn't him. He was after her, but there was nothing she could do. Her head was still blurry; it was a constant struggle to stay conscious. She did the only thing she could think of.

"INU YASHA!!!"

"Kagome!" Spinning on his heels he bolted towards her, but was knocked to the ground by a little black kitsune cub. Shippou had almost been taken. His arms and legs were like Kagome's, and it was obvious that the red vein was everywhere, everywhere except his heart. Being so small, it was no wonder it happened to him so quickly, but now he was costing Kagome.

Inu Yasha couldn't move. All three foxes held him as his mother leaned closer and closer, arms extended to wrap her son in a warm hug, a fiery red one. Black pooled from her hands as they inched closer; every second seemed to take an hour. So many things were happening, how could anyone know what was really going on?

Everything happened in rapid succession; Kagome was on the ground, about to be touched and consumed by the ooze. Without Inu Yasha to save her, all hope seemed lost until another shrill squawk was sounded. Looking up, Kagome saw her "father" sliced in pieces, evaporating on contact with the ground. Kirara stood before her in full demon form. She snarled at the bird youkai and nuzzled Kagome gently. Gratefully taking Kirara's fur into hand, the miko pulled herself onto Kirara's back and held on tightly around her neck. It seemed that cat had made a little stop on the way there to bring Kagome her backpack, and she was thankful. The cat youkai took a minute to purr for the girl as she put the bag over her shoulders before bounding off to take care of the others. In a flash, claws were torn through the woman assaulting our hanyou. He jumped up, slashed at the fake fox demons, freeing Shippou from his spell. Afterwards, both he and Shippou went and helped Kirara take care of the others around their friends.

The last thing that needed to be done in the rescue attempt was to actually cut them out of the cocoons, but how? The edges were light blue, made of a cartilage-like material that only regenerated when hit. In the middle, a red barrier stood, but even though Inu Yasha could easily take it down, his friends were inside and would surely be killed. Both the top and bottom of each capsule was attached to the wall and, though it seemed that it could be cut off quite easily, it offered no way to get inside. Gingerly, Kagome reached out a hand and closed her eyes. Within a minute Sango was out and Kirara ran and nuzzled against her face. Sango held the youkai fondly and hugged it tightly before looking around to see what was going on. Kagome tapped Kirara on the shoulder blade, and the cat nodded, taking off towards Miroku. Once they were all free, they found that there was no time to explain the situation. While busy, a small army had surrounded the bird youkai, attempting to protect it from harm.

Inu Yasha scoffed and lunged at the army. He knew that none of them were real, and intended to use that knowledge to his advantage. He took down Miroku's "father" while the houshi stared in shock. Before he could go onto the next, Inu Yasha's "mother" stepped forward, blocking his attack. 

With a startled gasp Inu Yasha jumped backwards; What the hell is WRONG with you?! You know she's not real! Attack her!, his logic argued. But... she looks like... It doesn't MATTER what she looks like! It's not her!

With the inner battle going on in front of him, the youkai decided to take it to his advantage. Instantly, a large, oval shape swung towards Inu Yasha, breaking him out of his shell (no pun intended.^_~) just in time for him to dodge the attack. The oval wiggled slightly, convulsing and squirming until finally it cracked. Large chunks of blue material cascaded down around him, completely covering him in its aftermath. From out of the object, a man appeared, the same one that had just been killed by Inu Yasha's claws. It had been an egg. This "he" wasn't a "he" after all... well, not exactly anyway.

Inu Yasha burst from beneath the shell, and, drawing Tetsussaiga, the fight was on. "Kaze no Kizu!" 

One went down and another was born. The bird demon was free to attack as it pleased and the group of fighters could do nothing against it with its "children" protecting it. There were too many for them, even if the group *could* fight the ones they loved. The Kaze no Kizu attack worked for a while; it destroyed the clones and eventually the fighters stopped stalling and just attacked once it was used, but each time the demon just flew upwards or dodged the attack. It had too much warning, too much time to dodge while the others took the brunt of the attack for it. In return, the youkai threw out poisoned feathers. One grazed Sango, causing a deep laceration in her arm. Thankfully, only the tips were poisonous, but the edges were razor-sharp. 

The battle raged on, each fighter slowly beginning to wear down. Miroku had, on his last attempt with the Kazaana, sucked a feather in a little too closely and his void was sliced on one side. They all knew what that meant after it happened with the praying mantis a while back, so no one would let him use it anymore. Kagome had long gotten off of Kirara's back, making room for Sango. Miroku and the cub quickly took to Kagome's side, and pulled out her first aid kit. She knew it would do no good when it came to the Kazaana, but it sure wasn't helping either she or Shippou, so she had to try. Kouga, in the meantime, tried to make due without his shards, and tried to get an edge in when Inu Yasha used his attack. At the moment, he had his hands full fighting off clones.

By now even Inu Yasha began to tire. Their strategy wasn't working in the least, and now that they had a few more players out of the game, it was beginning to look rather grim. In a slight moment of contemplation, Inu Yasha failed to notice a feather streaking his way. He smelled the poison and turned just in time to see it almost upon him. 

"Never get distracted in a battle half-breed!" An arrow whizzed through the air, hitting the feather and diverting it, though only slightly. The feather burst into flames as it was purified and the demon looked towards the girl.

"Foolish human!," he laughed, gaze now set upon the kneeling miko, "You have barely the strength to breathe let alone the strength to defeat me!" His "children" laughed as she slumped slightly lower to the ground. Shippou tried in vain to help her up, and they laughed all the more.

Attention turned, Inu Yasha took the advantage his enemy had just had, and attacked head-on; "You should follow your own advice bitch!" Both the "children" and the youkai were stunned. Upon taking the cue, both Sango and Kirara had attacked with Inu Yasha, Kouga joining in as well. The combined efforts created a large hole in the demon's chest and it squawked in pain.

This new development made the bird demon angry. It created more clones so that now there were three of each, including three of each wolf tribe member, and attacked the remaining four mercilessly. Sango jumped off of Kirara's back so that the cat demon could move more freely, and Kagome tried desperately to fight Miroku out of using his Kazaana. She was weakening by the second and Shippou was in no better shape. Because he was small, the welts had covered him easily, but his demon blood had warded off the main procession. His little body was taking as beating at the same rate Kagome's was, but she had been hit first. 

Two battles of life and death raged on, the outcome for either uncertain.

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"RIN!"

Sesshoumaru watched in horror as his charge took off into battle. They had been walking. He had known that the demon was close at hand, but he was afraid to leave Rin alone, for fear of her encountering another demon in his absence. He was about to order her to stay there when she looked up and saw the battle at hand.

"Oh no, that poor stork!," she had screamed. Seeing that Sesshoumaru wasn't going to interfere, she threw herself through the clearing to stand in front of the bird demon, arms outstretched in a protective manor. He hadn't even had the chance to grab her before she was gone.

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"How could you?!," a little girl raged onto the battlefield. She threw herself in between the youkai and Inu Yasha's attack, forcing the hanyou to call it off. "How could you attack a stork?!"

"A...what? Hey, aren't you... that means... where's Sesshoumaru?!"

"Inu Yasha," Kagome yelled from across the field, "a stork is a bird that delivers babies. Adults tell that to kids instead of telling them how babies are *actually* made. It makes it easier. She probably saw the clones come out of the eggs and assumed..."

Before she could finish, an all out attack was launched at the little intruder. Eggs, clones, and feathers were aimed for Inu Yasha, but Rin was still in the way! Seeing this, the little girl shrieked and turned. She could do nothing but watch the objects move towards her. How could the stork do this to her when she was trying to help it?

Another arrow flew by, taking out a feather. Shippou threw a top to knock the other one off course, and the rest took care of the eggs. With everyone busy, no one noticed that the clones were surrounding the trembling girl, no one but Sesshoumaru. In an instant they swung a feather at her, poisonous tip aimed for her little head. It missed its target, hitting Sesshoumaru squarely in between the shoulder blades on the spot where Rin's head was only a moment before. He sat a moment, crouched protectively over the girl who was now curled beneath him. Sesshoumaru, the great demon lord of the western lands, had taken the attack, for her, a human girl. (can we say *BIG* thing?)

He turned, eyes blazing with fury. After ripping the feather from his body his face started to deform, creating one not unlike a dog's. Within a few seconds, he was in his full demon form, towering above all but the bird youkai. Careful of Rin, he kicked and ate the clones that had attempted to hurt her, then turned his attention to the youkai before him. In one smooth motion he bit the bird's throat and, with another sharp, fluid movement, ripped its head clean off, spreading droplets of the blackened sludge that was its blood everywhere (and I MEAN everywhere! Muahahaha!), and snapping its necklace of human skulls. Shaking his prize back and forth a bit, he let it fly across the village and off of the cliff that dwelled to one side. (convenient ne?) The others looked to him, awed into silence.

The majestic dog shook slightly; the small droplets of black blood that now spotted his perfect white coat were shaken off, leaving brilliant, soft strands of fluffy fur behind. 

"Se... Sesshoumaru-sama?" Her voice was quivering slightly, completely unsure of what to make of this. She had never seen him in this form before, and it would've caused anyone to be speechless.

The dog demon barked softly. Inu Yasha and Shippou's faces fell. His muzzle slowly reverted back into his usual face, eyes going from red, to red with blue pupils, to his regular golden orbs. "Rin," he said softly, kneeling and looking down into her eyes. He was afraid that she might be frightened of him, of seeing him like that. She cowered slightly, then took off in a run, throwing herself into his arms and hugging him tightly.

"Sesshoumaru-sama! Rin was so scared! Why did the stork attack Rin?," she cried into his chest.

For telling her that story I'll rip that villager limb from limb!!! Mentally he snarled softly and made the note to himself. He had no idea what to tell her, and much less how to get her to stop crying. Suddenly jolted from his thoughts, he made no motion, but snarled at the intruder before hearing what she had to say.

"Don't worry, that wasn't the stork Rin." Kagome crawled up carefully, and put her hand comfortingly on Rin's shoulder. "The stork is a good bird who brings happiness and love to people. This bird was mean and hurt us instead. Do you understand?" The little girl sat there and thought a minute before nodding.

Turning to Kagome she asked, "Did he do that?" She pointed to the wounds covering Kagome's body, the welts, the red flakes that were once Kagome's skin, and the abrasions across her legs and behind her knee. The miko nodded, smiling gently, and then swayed. Her eyes closed and she collapsed to the ground. Shippou ran to try and help her, but ended up in the same state. Instead, it was Inu Yasha who made it to her first, with Kouga following close behind.

Rin gasped and jumped back in shock. Her eyes began to fill with tears again and she turned to her youkai lord, "Rin wants the girl to be okay! Please Sess-chan, *PLEASE* help her?" Her eyes glazed over with tears, her lip trembling sadly, how could Sesshoumaru refuse?

Sighing, he took out Tensussaiga and raised it towards Kagome. Kouga was automatically on the defensive, but Inu Yasha knew better. He held Kouga at bay with an arm and a stern look, then sent an almost pleading look to his half-brother, much to Sesshoumaru's satisfaction. With a single swipe the marks disappeared from Kagome's body. A minute later the same happened to Shippou, and they both hugged each other tightly.

Kagome was the first to face him, "Thank you, Sesshoumaru."

He looked away boredly, "I did you no favor; I just don't enjoy being indebted to others. Now we're even" With that, he began to walk off and called to his charge, who was now listening intently to a very interesting conversation. When it was apparent that she could not hear him, the demon lord turned and walked over to collect her himself.

"Hey, my neck isn't sore anymore either!" Shippou, Inu Yasha, and Kouga all stiffen. "Hey, what's with you guys? Every time I mention that, you guys are shut up tighter than Seshoumaru's emotions!"

Now, you have to understand, Inu Yasha didn't want to admit that he had been that close to Kagome, even if he didn't know what it meant. Shippou had an idea of what it was, but was afraid of the pummeling he would undoubtedly receive if he were to answer her, and Kouga just didn't want to admit that it had happened at all.

Kagome rubbed her neck nervously, still holding where it had hurt before. Just then, Sesshoumaru walked up, "So brother, can't even successfully mark your mate?" To add to the utter shock and confusion around the group, Sesshoumaru smirked, picked Rin up, and left.

"M...m...m... mate?" Kagome stumbled backwards and looked deeply into Inu Yasha's nervous eyes. The ground seemed very fascinating to him until he looked up and began yelling.

"Um... I don't know what he's talking about! He's just making it up. I mean, he IS Sesshoumaru."

Sango shuddered, "After that smile, I'm not so sure."

"So that's how the hold would work between you two!" Shippou bounced into Kagome's arms and looked back and forth between them, " My mom used to do that to me. I knew the hold was meant for family and children, so why didn't I think of it before?"

Inu Yasha practically choked on his tongue, "Wha...wha...ha..."

"Well dog-turd, you didn't mark her so I guess she's still up for grabs!" He flashed a sweet smile at Kagome, who was now staring intently at Inu Yasha again.

"Wait, so you decided not to?" Kagome stood there and thought a minute, " Hey, why *wouldn't* you want me?! Oh, I get it, you think I'm not good enough!"

"No, *he's* not good enough, but I'll mark you if you'd like." Inu Yasha, as always, got in his face.

"Keep the fucking hell away from her."

"Make me." How many times have we seen this scene? Snarling, growling, etc., etc.

"*sighs* Here we go again."

(NOTE: The fangs pressing into her neck, if he HAD bitten her he would've marked her as a mate. When he held the back of her neck in his fangs, that's a correctional technique used with clan, close family children, and mates. It's kind of an "I'm the leader so obey me" thing, you know?)


	20. Sweet Sentiments

Hey there!^_^ Well, I've decided to add another random sweet thing here with Inu Yasha talking to his mother.^_^ I though it would be cute, though a little ooc and still off of topic.^_~

I got a question on Saturday, one that I've been meaning to mention for a while now. I've noticed that, though the summary for my story on the main page still holds true, I am on chapter 20 now and I haven't gotten there yet. Sorry if that confused or is confusing anyone, but I promise that we're almost there.^_~ Actually, the funny thing is, I think that point is about half way through the story. It's the climax. Muahahaha! Anyway, enough of my rambling, enjoy the chapter!^_^

Update: Ahhh!!! I **LOVE** you guys!^_^ *gives out little Inu Yasha shaped fish stick things* mmm…fish sticks. Anyway, you guys are so awesome! Thank you sooo much for all of the kind words and comments.^-^ ß -feels all loved To everyone who's read the story so far, and especially to those who've taken time out of their busy schedules to comment, you guys are the greatest!

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Disclaimer: I don't own Inuyasha or any of the characters in it. If I did I'd be rich, but I'm not... and if I had lots of money I'd probably spend it on anime anyway so pleeaasseee, don't sue me.^_^ lol

Oh, and as always,

_= thoughts *_* = sound/ italicized "_" = speech

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Memories of the Present

Chapter 20: Sweet Sentiments

It was the first peaceful night we'd had in a while. After the demon was killed, the town slowly began to vanish. All of the huts faded; the people turned into souls, disappearing to wherever souls go when it's their time. The crops blackened, withered, and died before our eyes, and there was no trace that the town had even existed, well, besides a minute amount of rubble anyway. There had been nothing left but a large burnt clearing with an occasional knoll of grass and a flower or two. It was too open to camp in, so we paid our respects to the village and continued on; I hoped they found the peace they had been searching for.

Darkness had soon fallen, leaving us with barely a few hours to find a place to stay the night. With no villages nearby, we wandered for about an hour before finding a place to settle down. Things had been quiet after leaving the village, and everything was set up in silence. It was unnerving. Sango and Miroku had attempted to start conversation from time to time, but after seeing the looks from everyone else, they kept their mouths shut. I didn't know why everyone was so quiet, but I assumed that it was probably because of the whole bite thing, which, I might add, Inu Yasha was still denying. As for me, my mind was stuck on one track; why had he kissed me? And, more importantly, why had he kissed me, and still, nothing had changed? 

Of course, the silence never could last forever, uncomfortable as it was, and with our group, the best way to break the silence was with, you guessed it, a snide remark.

"Why exactly did we fight that demon again? It didn't even have a shard!"

Kouga smirked, "No, but you did my job for me. Thanks dog-turd."

"Keh." What was with him? Normally a fight would've broken out or at least an insult thrown. Something must've been bothering him.

"Well," I looked to Miroku. He was pretending to stretch, attempting to put his arm around Sango without her noticing. I didn't even know that perverted tradition went this far back through time. As expected, he got a good smack and, rubbing his sore cheek, decided to continue, "it's getting late; we should probably get some rest. We're going to have a long walk tomorrow."

Sango and I immediately scooted away from the guys. Miroku for obvious reasons, as well as Kouga, and Inu Yasha, well...

"Hmm?" Uh oh, he was looking at us, "Miroku, aren't the girls supposed to be looking at *you* like that?" (think the glare from the episode where Miroku gets his kazaana ripped, after he comes back from killing the praying mantis youkai.)

The houshi shrugged, "Hey, I'm not the one who did something dirty... " He looked away and coughed, "...yet." Yeah, like we couldn't hear him.

"I didn't DO anything!"

"Inu Yasha," Miroku's hand was on the hanyou's shoulder; that can't be good. "Yes, but it's only natural that you'd..." *WHACK!!!!* When will he ever learn?

Sango and I sighed and shook our heads. "Anyway, what about Sesshoumaru?"

Sango shrugged, "What about him?"

"Well," I began, "Why do you think he carries Rin around with him? She looks well taken care of, and after that little escapade..."

"What IS it with you guys and my brother?! Keh, forget this, I'm out of here." He stood up and jumped into the nearest tree. He was leaving?!

"Inu Yasha, where are you going? Inu Yasha!"

Shippou jumped into my lap, "Jeeze, what's his problem?" 

Miroku shrugged, "Sibling rivalry?"

"Who knows? Maybe we should all get some sleep."

Sango curled up inside of her sleeping bag and buried her head; Miroku followed suit, inching jut close enough to his beloved Sango that she couldn't reach him, but that he could still watch her and maybe even grope her if he tried hard enough. "Agreed, we'll head back to Kaede's village come morning. We have at least a two day journey ahead of us."

"And I'm afraid I have to get going." All eyes turned to Kouga.

"What do you mean Kouga-kun?"

He sighed sadly and took my hands in his own, "My pack needs me; I have been gone much longer than I said I would. But don't worry, if that dog-turd even touches you, tell me and I'll kill him, okay?"

I sighed. He looked so serious, and you really had to wonder about him sometimes, "Sure Kouga. But are you really going without your shards?"

"I don't need them." Uh huh. "Besides, the problem isn't fixed yet, is it?"

With a thoughtful look I removed the pendant from around my neck. Of course, there was no change; I was still holding it. Sadly, I handed it to Sango; I really didn't want to let go of it. It was a gift from Inu Yasha after all. With the pendant no longer on my person, I began to get extremely dizzy and doubled over. Sango rushed to my side and gave me the necklace, immediately relieving me of the horrible symptoms. I smiled and thanked her, then graciously accepted when Kouga helped me up.

"See, I told you. It would do no good to go retrieve my shards now, but I'll be back for you soon and I'll collect them then." With that, he bent down, kissed my hands, and sped off with an "I'll be back for you soon Kagome!" trailing behind him in the wind. 

After ten minutes everyone was asleep, well, everyone but me. I rolled over slowly, as not to cause much noise. It was so beautiful here; you could never see the stars back home. Everything around me was so perfect, so special, but, even amidst the twinkling stars and the tall grass, I couldn't lay there any longer. The boredom was killing me.

I wonder where Inu Yasha went. I didn't upset him... did I?

With a reluctant sigh I got out of bed and slowly crept across camp. I knew that I'd probably be yelled at, but it would be worth it. Besides, I couldn't sleep. What else was I supposed to do?

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Elsewhere in the forest, another inner battle was taking place.

Damnit, why in the living hell did Sesshoumaru have to go and say that anyway?! I could mark her if I wanted to.

'Then why haven't you?' A smug grin came across the hanyou's face, erasing the pout that was there a moment before. Isn't it obvious? I don't want to. Of course, it was soon replaced with his usual stubborn scowl.

' You know, you always say that. What about the bite? What about the hold?'

I didn't mark her. Besides, it's not like I knew what it meant, so how can I be held to it?

'Exactly! Your instincts overrode your stubbornness.'

Keh.

'Yeah, yeah, likely story. You know...'

Damnit, why do you ALWAYS have to pop up?! Do you have ANY idea how annoying you are?

'The truth hurts my friend.'

Quiet.

'I haven't said anything yet.'

But you were going to.

'See, ha, you know it's true! You loooove her!'

Damn you! Stop taunting me!

'I win, woohooo!'

Yes, *I* won. Now stop sounding so triumphant!

'hehe, yes, *I* did win. *raspberries at himself* Just admit it.'

Why are you so childish?

'I don't know, why are you?'

Get bent.

'Watch what you ask for.' And with that the hanyou smacked headfirst into a nearby tree branch.

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A small figure crept not-so-silently through the forest that night; no matter how hard she tried, Kagome couldn't avoid the sticks and leaves that she couldn't see. In the short time that she had been out searching, her legs had been scratched by almost every type of plant known to exist in that time period; she was thankful to the cold for convincing her to ditch her usual skirt in exchange for some comfy sweatpants, and thus, saving her legs a lifetime of lotion. 

How did I EVER think I was going to find him? It's not like I have demon senses. She sighed, Well, no use now; I don't know my way back. At least if I get in trouble I know I'll find him... or really, he'll find me.

The moonlight shone hazily through the surrounding trees, tiny beams of light searching for the intruder deep within the forest depths. The twigs that snapped beneath her feet jumped up to snag in her pants, and she could have sworn that the leaves got in her way just to annoy her. No matter how hard she tried to stifle the sound, her heartbeat seemed to get louder every second, and if she had been near Inu Yasha, there's no doubt that he would have heard her coming.

He can probably hear me walking around already. What the hell do I think I'm doing?

After a long while, Kagome managed to stumble back upon camp and tried to go back to sleep, but still, she couldn't; she refused to give up. This time she opted for using a rope to trace her way back, tying it to a tree so she wouldn't have to wander so much in her search for the others. Within five minutes of the newly devised search, she finally found the hanyou lying in the grass, seemingly asleep.

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"So, how long do you think it's going to take this time?"

Miroku chuckled, "Ahhh Sango, I see you're awake as well. Hmm... I'd say about an half hour."

"That's it? Okay, I'll take that." Kagome hadn't been the only bored one, and really, it had just been a matter of time before the young miko finally found who she was searching for. Luckily for Sango, Kagome seemed to have been gone at least an hour with no luck the first time, so why should this time be any different?

"Oh *really*?" Miroku smirked, gazing upon Sango playfully.

"Yep, and if I win you have to wear a bell around your neck and carry all of Kagome's and my stuff until we get back to Kaede's hut."

" Okay, and if you lose," Sango edged away slightly as his smirk exploded into a full on grin, " you will have to give me a goodnight kiss and spend the night sleeping next to me."

"**What?!**" The demon huntress jumped out of bed, "ARE YOU INSANE?"

What's with everyone daring me to kiss Miroku?!

"Sorry Sango, those are the stakes, take it or leave it." She thought about it for a few minutes. "Well?"

Grinning, she lay back down in her sleeping bag and nodded, "Deal. Get ready to have a backache houshi."

He laughed, "We'll see, we'll see..."

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As she neared the area where Inu Yasha lay, she began to hear soft whispers, musings of the days gone by.

Oh Kami, so he's not asleep. Please, don't let him be talking to...

"And that's what happened mother."

Mother? Kagome leaned in softly, peeking from behind a well-concealed tree. Inu Yasha lay on his back, the only real color in a sea of dark green grass. He had his hands behind his head, and eyes closed off to the world, legs stretched out and feet wiggling ever so slightly. She knew what would happen if he caught her spying, but she had finally found him, and wasn't going to leave now that she did... not to mention that her curiosity was getting the better of her. I am *SO* dead if he catches me.

"I knew it wasn't you, but they looked so much like you... Anyway, I don't get a chance to do this often, but I really miss you. I can't tell the others, or anyone really, and I don't often get time to myself, but on the rare occasion I can come talk to you like this, under the stars. It's not like I sleep much anyway, but I have to stay and protect Kagome. Don't worry, the others are with her now; she'll be fine.

I'm confused mother; I have this annoying little voice that pops up in my head sometimes. It's the voice that makes me feel bad when I yell at her or make her cry. It's been coming around more lately and I hate it. I hate it because I know it's always right. It tempts me with happy thoughts, but I know that I can't be happy. Not for a time anyway. See, we still haven't finished our journey nor beaten Naraku. Not only that, I still haven't put Kikyo to rest.

Damnit mother, what's wrong with me?! Whenever I think about her I feel guilty. I love her but... Kagome's more important to me... and I don't want to lose her. Every time someone mentions Kikyo she acts like nothing's happened, but I know it hurts her, though I have no idea why. Women, go figure." 

As if realizing what he'd said, he sat up and smiled, " Oh, sorry mom. Anyway, I should be heading back. I don't want to leave the others for too long. Besides, Kagome thinks that I don't know she's there, and if she doesn't start running I'm going to have to go after her."

With a start, Kagome dashed back into the forest towards camp, the rope leading the way.

Inu Yasha just sat there and grinned mischievously, "One, two, three, four..."


	21. Sleepy Puppy and the Confrontation

Hehe... sleepy hanyou goodness.=^-^= He's so cute! Oh, and for the Kikyo lovers, there's a remark in here you may not like.^_~ You have been warned! Lol

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Merith- I totally know what you mean. Kouga's a sweetie and all, but he had to go. Sorry Kouga fans! Oh, by the way, be prepared for a special mention in the next chapter.^_~*

Venus Aeternus- All I have to say is that you hit the nail right smack dab on the head! I had finished the chapter mid wed. and saw you're comment around midnight.^_^; lol But yeah, you'll see what I mean.^_~

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Acorngirl- You know I love ya, and it's great to have ya back!^_^ Yeah, I know he was a little OOC, but I'm allowed to do that sometimes right?^_^; lol

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Disclaimer: I don't own Inuyasha or any of the characters in it. If I did I'd be rich, but I'm not... and if I had lots of money I'd probably spend it on anime anyway so pleeaasseee, don't sue me.^_^ lol

Oh, and as always,

_= thoughts *_* = sound/ italicized "_" = speech

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Memories of the Present

Chapter 21: Sleepy Puppy and the Confrontation

"... NOW!"

Wow, this is WAY too fun to be healthy!

With the stealth of a demon, Inu Yasha tracked down Kagome. Of course, he knew that she knew how to get back to camp, and he knew that he could catch her easily, but why spoil the fun? Swiftly and easily, he herded her like a flock of sheep. Whenever she would turn towards camp, he'd call from that direction, making her run the other way. He was having WAY too much fun for his own good, and soon the temptation to catch her was beginning to overwhelm him. His demon blood began to stir to life with the thrill of this chase and, as Kagome began to get tired, she stopped and used the last of her strength to climb into the higher branches of a tree.

He'd never suspect that I'd climb up this high!, she thought triumphantly. Unfortunately for her, he was one step ahead of her.

"Boo."

"AHH!!!" She screamed and jumped, slipping off of the branch only to be caught by an extremely playful hanyou. 

He set her back on the branch, facing him this time, and smirked. "Scared you?" Surprise turning to anger, she clenched her fists and, before she could think about what she was doing, did the one thing that would probably be bad in this situation, "SIT!"

Oh, how ready he was for that! Right before that accursed word escaped her mouth, he had picked her up and dropped down to the ground. When the word finally came, he was forced to fall on top of her, pinning her to the cold, damp soil.

Furious, her face turned beet red and her knuckles white. Hair was in her face, but she couldn't move it and made a lame attempt to blow it out of the way instead. Chuckling, Inu Yasha carefully took a claw and moved it for her. She huffed irritably, but even when the spell wore off he refused to move.

"Wanna try that again?" His grin spread from ear to ear as his golden eyes twinkled in mischievous delight. 

Oh yeah, she was PISSED, but one look up into his grinning face and she couldn't help but smile. It was rare when she saw him this happy, and she really didn't want to ruin it. Suddenly, she got an idea. Slyly, she looked up at him, taking a lock of his hair between her fingers. She twirled the snowy white strands and wove them around one fingertip innocently; giving her best puppy-eyed, cute look, she feigned a slight confusion, "And what if I do?"

His eyes grew wide and he blushed fiercely. In a desperate attempt to hide it, he sat up to turn away, letting down his guard, and giving Kagome ample opportunity to take advantage of this situation. In one swift, strategic move, she slid out from beneath him and made a mad dash towards the first light she saw; Kagome could feel him gaining on her and could hear him chuckle slightly at the new development in their chase. The hanyou had maybe a minute before she was there, but could he catch up?

"Okay houshi-sama, one minute more and I win the bet! What color string do you want your bell on, pink or *baby* blue?"

"Be patient Sango-chan."

"Got'cha! Muahaha!" Inu Yasha and Kagome came rolling across the campsite, almost out of thin air.

"Time!" Sango looks up, "Oh no."

"Oh Saaangoooo..."

"Oh, no no no no no no no no no no..."

Kagome, noticing where they were, shouted, "Ha! I made it here before you caught me!"

"Want to bet?" He growled softly and brought his face nose to nose with hers. She squealed and squirmed beneath him as he laughed almost huskily and tightened his grip. Suddenly, she stopped and looked to Sango who had just paused and looked at them. Inu Yasha and Miroku turned and found themselves each staring at the other. 

With all if the red in the clearing, one would think a fire was burning uncontrollably in the wilderness, and in a way, it was. Everyone had a stubborn blush they simply could not get rid of! (like a stubborn stain, you know?) Miroku and Inu Yasha both jumped back, smacking their heads against trees on the opposite sides of the camp site. Sango and Kagome just stopped, looked at each other, and then turned away quickly. 

Being so used to head trauma, the houshi was the first to speak. "So Sango, I won." He beamed proudly.

Kagome looked over, "Won what?"

Grumbling, Sango sat up and faced Miroku, face burning and promise of death in her eyes if he even DARED to do something to set it off. "Fine, a bet is a bet, but two things are going to be made clear. First, I said I'd do it, but I never, *NEVER* said I'd have to be happy about it! Second," she raised her hand and gave Miroku the biggest slap in his life, causing him to fall over backwards and skid a few feet.

"OOWww... Sango, what was that for?," Miroku whined.

"That was for the perverted things you're going to do after this."

"But that's not fair...ah, ah, ah, a, a,..." Sango had him by the ear and was tugging him back over to his sleeping bag.

"Let's get this over with."

Kagome looked to Inu Yasha, but he just shrugged and looked back at the two. Both of their eyes burst open when they saw Sango give Miroku a small peck on the cheek, and Kagome thought her heart had collapsed. She fell over, gasping and the monk drifted around, floating in a dreamy, perverted way with an expression of pure lecherous bliss etched into his features the entire time; not that you could tell through the grin of course. Sango, on the other hand, was a different matter. She looked more like a pissed off Inu Yasha than anything else, and, when someone was about to speak, sent a death glare that could kill Kikyo herself! (and you know how hard THAT is to do!)

Inu Yasha placed himself protectively between Kagome and Sango, a clawed hand on Tetsussaiga's hilt, but then opted for hiding behind her instead. Sure, it was embarrassing, but at least he'd live, and Kagome could take care of Sango better than he could anyway. Kagome just shook her head, and turned back to Sango, cringing slightly when she saw Miroku float back down to Earth and pull his sleeping bag next to the demon hunter's. Oh, he was dead this time for sure.

Of course, when Sango was about to hit him, he "tisk"ed at her, waving his finger in front of her face. The normally correctional behavior, it seems, is nothing without the look however, as Sango was about to beat his grinning face until he had no head left to grin with. (probably in both areas.~_~; ouch...) This was effectively stopped when Miroku reminded her of the other half of the bet she had lost, and she promptly curled up in her sleeping bag, making sure to face as far away from Miroku as she could, and attempting to get some well needed rest. This was completely impossible, of course, when sleeping next to a pervert, but what else could she do? Miroku, still grinning like an idiot, went to bed as well, and Inu Yasha climbed into the nearest tree and pretended to sleep.

Kagome shook her head and sighed; it was WAY too late for this. She'd deal with it when she woke up. Curling into her own bag, she found that Shippou was already asleep inside. She cuddled up against him, moving him slightly so she could snuggle in, and quickly dozed off into a peaceful slumber. Of course, that was not to last long.

Sometime during the night, Inu Yasha had managed to fall out of the tree and roll over to Kagome's bag. She awoke to a soft whimpering and found Inu Yasha lying there, leg kicking in the air, whimpering like a scared puppy; she couldn't help but laugh. Suppressing her giggles, she bent over and began to gently massage his furry little ears. A soft growl emanated from his chest, reminding Kagome of a purring cat. As she moved her massage to the base of his ear, his "purring" got louder and he nuzzled her hand, licking her wrist as he did so. After seeing this, she had to bite her lip to keep from giggling. 

Okay, she had to do it, there was no way around this one; moving slowly, as not to wake him up, she began to rub his stomach through his haori. He stopped whimpering and rolled over on his back to expose a little bit more stomach for her to rub, but upon doing so, rolled over onto an incredibly uncomfortable rock. She jumped, startled, and almost screamed as a hand sharply wrapped itself around her wrist. Looking down, Inu Yasha had one eye on her, face EXTREMELY irritated; she gulped.

"And WHAT do you think you're DOING?!," he ground out, not wanting to wake the others, lest he be caught in a potentially embarrassing situation.

"I...um...you rolled over and..." He scowled at her and she lost all traces of any voice she had once had. Mumbling something she couldn't hear, he picked her up and tucked her back into her sleeping bag before jumping back up into his tree and mumbling something about stupid humans and not touching his ears.

She watched him fidget slightly on his branch and yawn a one-eyed, incredibly canine yawn, before rolling over and covering her suppressed giggles with the top of her sleeping bag. She soon fell asleep with thoughts of fuzzy ears and sleepy hanyou running through her head.

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During the next few days, not much happened. Miroku had decided to be more "friendly" towards Sango at first, but after suffering her wrath once, he decided to lay off a little and was a good boy, much to Sango's delight. They became just that much closer without him groping her, but she knew it wouldn't last forever and was determined to enjoy it while she could. Kagome spent the days remembering when she was scratching Inu Yasha's ears; he was so cute! Now, if only he'd let her brush his hair... 

Inu Yasha spent his time avoiding Kagome's eventual realization that he'd been watching her even more than before since that night, and just daydreaming in general. Shippou did his best not to get in the way and stayed with Kagome for the most part, watching her giggle occasionally for seemingly no reason at all. There were no demon attacks, no shards to hunt, no annoying wolves, and no hot springs to gossip in; needless to say, it was pretty peaceful.

They had arrived at Kaede's village after dark, much too late to do much of anything but sleep. Without even eating dinner, they did just that, slept. The morning, however, was beginning to prove to be much more difficult. With morning came breakfast, with breakfast came no news on the condition of the shards, and with all of the traveling and silence lately, there was only one solution for two nervous and dirty members of the group, hot springs.

"Kagome, come on!," Sango shouted, waving to Kagome to hurry up. 

"Coming!" She grabbed her supplies and, making sure Inu Yasha was watching Miroku, set off to go have some gossip time with her best friend.

After making one too many perverted remarks, Miroku had been knocked out, where he'd stay for a good hour still. Shippou was asleep after finding Kagome's candy stash and making himself sick, and Kaede was off visiting the villagers, all pointing to one thing, a VERY bored hanyou. Inu Yasha jumped up into the higher branches of a tree outside of the hut. He was high enough that he could still hear and see everything, but that the leaves covered him from others' eyes. Right before he was about to doze off, his ears swiveled, catching part of the conversation between two girls coming back from taking a nice hot bath.

"He did WHAT?! That's so cute!"

"I know!" She squealed happily, "They were so soft and the face was adorable!"

"Did he really roll over?"

"Yeah," Kagome chuckled and shook her head gently, "right onto a rock." Sango laughed. "So, what about you and Miroku hmmm? What possessed you into making that bet with him?"

"What else, I thought I'd win."

"MMhmm..."

"What, wait a minute, you don't believe me?"

"Not in the slightest."

"WHAAaa?!"

"Oh come on Sango, you know you loved it!"

The older girl blushed a deep crimson, "Well... maybe... ONLY a little..."

"Ha ha! See, I tooold you!"

"Hey, well, what about you and Inu Yasha hmm?"

Deep within his hiding spot, the half demon opened his eyes; Yeah, what about us?

"Wha...what ever do you mean Sango?"

Sango laughed, "Kagome, don't play dumb. You know you love him."

She WHAT?!

"But really, I almost envy you. You've been way more affectionate towards him lately. Hey, why is that anyway?" Kagome blushed. "Oh! Kagome-chan!!!! What is it?! What haven't you told me?! And more importantly, WHY didn't you tell me?"

"Well..."

"Kagoome, come on!"

"Well, when I was in my world and got sick, Inu Yasha was being, well, kind of sweet."

"Really?"

"Mhmm..."

"What did he do?"

"Well, he carried me home, put me to bed, and..."

"And what Kagome-chan?"

"Well, he came here to talk with Kaede and when I went outside, I got sick and fell. I guess he had just gotten back because he caught me..."

"Yeah...?"

"... and kissed me."

"He WHAT?!"

I *WHAT*?! Inu Yasha practically fell out of his tree; Kagome simply blushed and nodded.

"Well?"

"Well what?"

"What was it like?"

Remembering, she sighed softly, "It was heaven."

"Ooooh, Kagome, I'm so happy for you!" Sango squealed and hugged the young miko tightly. "What else has he done?"

"Well," Kagome kneaded her hands and tugged at her shirt nervously, "actually, that's it."

"That's it?"

"Mmhmm."

"Oh." They sat there in silence for a few minutes before Sango smiled and hugged her again; "Well, I'm still happy for you! Who knows what'll happen next."

Kagome hid her face in her hands, "Sango!" They laughed and headed into the hut, coming out with Kagome's not-so-bulging backpack swung over her shoulder. "Well, I'm off. Say bye to everyone for me when they show up." Or wake up for that matter.

"Sure, no problem. See you soon!" 

Kagome waved back and walked towards the well, completely unaware of the other following her.

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What did she mean he had kissed her?! Sure, he wanted to do that, but he'd never, she'd never, what was she talking about?! 

I remember putting her to bed, then coming here. After talking to Kaede I went back to her world, but... why *was* she on the ground anyway? Maybe her illness made her delirious? Maybe she fell and hit her head? Or maybe... maybe someone HAD kissed her! Maybe she thought it was me because she was sick! Or maybe, maybe she knew it wasn't me? His heart sunk in his chest. Of course, he knew that she couldn't love him, so why was everyone pretending like she did? 

Sango seemed to believe it. Maybe she just didn't want them to know she had someone else when they thought... that had to be it! How could she love me?! Damnit, someone must've kissed her; someone must've kissed *MY* Kagome! I'LL KILL THEM!!!

With that thought in mind, he sped up slightly, dropping down in front of the startled girl. She reeled back for a second, watching him pop out from out of the blue. When she realized who it was, she started to calm down and was about to lecture him when he reached over and grabbed her shoulders forcefully.

She winced, "Inu Yasha, what're you doing?"

"Who...was it...Kagome...," he ground out, half growling as the worlds passed through his lips. She stared, dumbfounded at the hanyou before her until she actually saw him. She saw his eyes, hard, cold, filled with pain and unshed tears; she saw his mouth, fangs bared and jaw clenched. His scowl was replaced with an expression of true hatred and concentration as he stared at her. She could feel his every muscle move, flex with his every action, straining against something, but what?

She was scared. He had never looked at her this way before; why now? What had she done? Her eyes filled with tears and she tried to back away, but his grip held firm. The further she tried to get, the closer they became. Her mind was blurred, hazy, in other words, unusable. 

Unconsciously, she spoke the only words that came to mind, "W... why?" He obviously took that the wrong way.

"DAMNIT Kagome, why are you protecting him?!!!" Tears streamed down her face in waves, washing over her lips and dripping onto his hands, but this only fed his hatred. He didn't hate her; how could he ever? He loved her with every fiber of his being, but he hated whoever had taken this from him, had taken her from him. Why wouldn't she tell him? Why was she protecting him?

"Kagome, who... kissed you?" 

Her eyes grew wide, "Y...you did, Inu Yasha. You're the only one to ever..."

"STOP IT! Sango may buy that, but I won't! I was never THERE, Kagome! How in the hell could I have kissed you if I wasn't there?!"

Fresh tears began to slide down her cheek, "Why... why would you... after all this... I... I thought you cared." She began to weep.

"W... what?"

"Why would you deny it?!" The hanyou let go of her, shocked into silence. What was she talking about? Deny what? She was the one protecting the soon-to-be corpse!! Why would she be mad at him?!

"Oh," she almost whispered, tone alarmingly dark and cold, "I see how it is." Inu Yasha broke out of his daze to see Kagome in much the state he was, hands balled in fists, stance rigid, a look of incomparable hate flushed across her features. Frankly, it scared him." I'm not going to stand for it this time Inu Yasha!"

He jumped back, "What?"

"I'm not going to let you play with my heart anymore!" He thought he was going to have a heart attack! Play with her heart?! What the hell was she talking about? "I'm not going to put up with it this time! First it's all about Kikyo, then you kiss me and bring my hopes up, then you deny it ever happened? I thought you cared!"

"What in the hell are you talking about?!"

"I'm going home!" In a flash Inu Yasha had grabbed onto her wrist, dragging her back over towards him.

"You're not going ANYWHERE wench!"

"Oh, so it's back to that again huh? Well, forget it! I have tests and a life back home you know! I'm leaving!"

She tugged and he let go of her wrist. "Kagome... wait." His tone was so soft.

She turned around; she couldn't believe that her heart could break anymore until she looked at him. His head was lowered, gaze shut off by closed eyes and shielding bangs. His ears were lain back against his head and she could hear soft whimpers every time he spoke. His figure was slouched, and the only thing that seemed to move around him was his chest, as his breathing became shallow and labored.

"Kagome..." Her breath caught in her throat. "Kagome... don't go." She looked towards the well and back at him. She couldn't leave him like this; she just... couldn't. He looked so sad. Had she really hurt him that much? "Why won't you tell me?"

"T...tell you what?"

"Why won't you tell me who it was? Why won't you tell me who kissed you?!" She couldn't believe her ears; after all that, she had WORRIED about him and yet he still denied it! He had shattered her heart and she still felt enough compassion to stay, and then he took another swing?! When was she going to learn?!

"What's wrong with you?! How could you do this to me?! I just... I can't..." She ran, as fast as her feet would carry her. She knew he was reaching for her, but she didn't care; it didn't matter anymore; she couldn't live like this. Maybe she would stay away for a week, maybe a month at most, but what would stop him from coming after her? There had to be something... but what?


	22. Simple and Clean

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PLEASE READ: Welcome to the climax chapter! Of course, it would be fun to end here, maybe I just won't update for a week or so to make you all suffer. Muahahaha! Nah, I'm not *that* mean.^_~ Okay, sorry if the characters are a little OOC; I think you can forgive me for this one.^_~* And please, PLEASE, listen to the song first! You need to have the song in your head while you read to get the full effect.^_^ Otherwise, I dunno. I guess it wouldn't be as good. I can't tell you considering I love this song so it's always there.^_^; lol Anyway, thanks for reading.^_^ On with the fic! 

Hey, and a special shout out to Merith for reading this in advance. The suggestions really helped when I went through and revised it.^_^ Thanks! *hugs tightly*

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Disclaimer: I don't own Inuyasha or any of the characters in it. If I did I'd be rich, but I'm not... and if I had lots of money I'd probably spend it on anime anyway so pleeaasseee, don't sue me.^_^ lol Oh, and "Simple and Clean" is copyright Hikaru Utada. Can't forget that!

Oh, and as always,

_= thoughts *_* = sound/ italicized "_" = speech

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Memories of the Present

Chapter 22: Simple and Clean

"No!"

"I need to go back!"

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*When you walk away,

You don't hear me say

Pleeaasseee oh baby, don't go.*

"Kagome, wait!" He ran up to her, grabbed her upper arm tightly, and roughly turned her to face him again.

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*Simple and clean is the way that you're making me feel tonight;

It's hard to let it go.*

"What are you doing?! Let me go!"

"I wasn't there!"

"You were! It was you; it had to have been!" She beat her fists weakly against his chest, and then collapsed against him, crying. " You held me... kissed me. It was you..."

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*You're giving me

Too many things, lately.*

"How... how could you deny it?"

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*You're all I need. (oh woah)*

He held her tightly, slight trickles of tears rolling across his cheeks. Laying his cheek in her hair, he spoke to her softy, voice tortured and afraid; "Kagome..."

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*You smiled at me, and said

Don't get me wrong, I love you,*

"It couldn't have been."

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*But does that mean I have to meet

Your father? (HUGE hint here.^_~ muahahaha!)

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When we are older you'll understand 

What I meant when I said no.* 

"Fine!" 

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*I don't think

Life is quite that simple.*

She pulled away from him, tears forming a fragile barrier of hatred against the pain. If she ran he'd catch her, but he wouldn't always be there; he'd made that much clear, even if in a different sense. She'd get by somehow, if she kept trying hard enough. Kagome went running towards the well, a warm river of tears caressing her broken expression, droplets creating the pieces of her shattered soul. 

*When you walk away,

You don't hear me say

Pleeaasseee oh baby, don't go.*

In a single jump he was in front of her, blocking her path towards the well. He grabbed her, and, when she struggled, threw his arms around her and held her to him as if his life depended on it. If he let her go now, there'd be no guarantee that she'd come back. He couldn't live without her; he couldn't let her leave. He needed her.

"I'm not letting you go." 

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*Simple and clean is the way that you're making me feel tonight;

It's hard to let it go. (so simple and cleeeaann)*

It was so warm... no, not again; she couldn't let it happen again! She had to learn! What could she say? There had to be something, anything! She just had to get away, for a while at least. She couldn't handle this right now, not now, not again.

"I have tests!" 

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*The daily things (like this and that and one plus one)

That keep us all, busy*

He only held on tighter, "But that's not why you're leaving!"

"I..." Her voice choked. What now?

*Are confusing me.*

"Kagome, who is it? Who was it?! I'LL KILL THEM!!! STOP HIDING THEM AND TRUST ME! I'll take care of you; I promise..."

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*That's when you came to me, and said*

"Why are you denying it?! Don't you remember?!" Could she have been wrong?

"Kagome!"

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*Wish I could prove I love you,

But does that mean I have to walk

On water?*

She thought back, remembering the moment they shared, no, there was no doubt in her mind. She could still feel his lips against hers, arms holding her protectively, as they always had, as they were now. There was nothing different, just less hidden. Maybe he didn't want to open up to her? Didn't he trust her?

"Listen to me!" 

She had to know; there was no other way. Without trust there's no love, without love...

"Do you... do you love me?"

What was she saying?! Where did *that* come from? Was she trying to change the subject *again*?!

"Damnit Kagome, enough!"

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*When we are older you'll understand

It's enough when I say so.*

Tears welled up in the hanyou's eyes. He wasn't ready to tell her, not yet. Why wouldn't she tell him who it was? What is she afraid of? 

"That's right Inu Yasha," she stated icily, face suddenly hard despite her tears. She was tired of the game, tired of feeling like this. It had to end, even if just for now. That had been the last straw. "That's enough."

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*And maybe, some things are that simple.*

Taking advantage of his pause, she pushed herself away from him slowly, trembling as she struggled to stand. Maybe, maybe this was the one time he wouldn't catch her, the one time she'd be able to escape. She gathered what little strength remained and bolted towards the well, leaving a trail of rainbow crystals in her wake. 

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*When you walk away,

You don't hear me say

Pleeaasseee oh baby, don't go.*

She tripped over her backpack, sending both flying towards the murky depths of the ancient well. 

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*Simple and clean is the way that you're making me feel tonight;

It's hard to let it go.*

"KAGOME!!!"

As she fell, she turned, face distorted with fear. Her hand reached towards the hanyou, her last hope at happiness.

"INU YASHA!!!"

*Hold me;

Whatever lies beyond this morning

Is a little later on.*

The shards flew from her backpack as it hit the lip of the well, spilling but one.

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*Regardless of warnings,

The future doesn't scare me at all.*

A light erupted from the well. Normally cobalt blue, it now turned a sickly orange color, as both Kagome and the shard fell to the bottom.

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*Nothing's like before.*

Inu Yasha watched her trip and ran to her. He had to catch her; he had to talk to her. Kami, he couldn't let her go now!

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*When you walk away,

You don't hear me say

Pleeaasseee oh baby, don't go.*

She screamed his name, and he ran, faster than he ever had before. He had to get to her; he had to protect her! She'd fallen before, why was he so scared now? The light, it was the wrong color! What was happening? 

"KAGOME!!!"

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*Simple and clean is the way that you're making me feel tonight;

It's hard to let it go.*

She was gone, but her bag was still there. He should return it and make sure that she was okay. Oh Kami, what was this horrible feeling? 

Kagome...please be safe.

He jumped in after her, easily seeing the shard she had dropped. He'd have to put it with the others in her pack later.

"Kagome, I'm coming." As he dropped, the light didn't appear, and he hit the bottom with a soft thud. Hastily, he jumped out and back in, over and over, each time without success. "Oh no, NO, KAGOME!!! KAGOMEEE!!!!!" Tears spilled, unchecked, as his frantic mind tried to come up with an explanation, anything, just one. 

There was only one conclusion; "She's... gone." 

*Hold me;

Whatever lies beyond this morning

Is a little later on.*

Why do I have this feeling that she's... she's never coming back?

"Kagome... I never got to tell you... no. YOU CAN'T BE GONE! NOT YET! I NEVER... I never..."

He collapsed to the ground; with no one around to hear him, he sobbed. "I love you Kagome... and," he straightened slightly, brows furrowed in determination, "No, this won't be it, this can't be the end."

"... I know what I must do." 

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*Regardless of warnings,

The future doesn't scare me at all.*

I know what I must do.

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*Nothing's like before.*

"INU YASHA!!!"

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*Hold me;

Whatever lies beyond this morning

Is a little later on.*

Inu Yasha please... please don't leave me. I need you.

"I never got to tell you... oh please, please, Kami NO!!!!" She began to dig desperately through the dirt at the bottom of the well. Clumps flew behind her as her hands bloodied, fingernails filled to the brim with grime and tears. She screamed, but she didn't stop. " I NEED YOU!"

She dug until exhaustion took over, uttering one final thing before she passed out, "Please... don't leave me." The darkness had won.

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*Regardless of warnings,

The future doesn't scare me at all.*

A lone figure stood above her, tears streaming down his shadowed, sullen face. As he neared the unconscious girl, one simple phrase was uttered through his parted lips; "I will never leave you."

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*Nothing's like before.*


	23. Sweet Dreams

Arrgg, so many good places to stop in this one, but I wanted you guys to have a decent sized chapter.^_^; So... tempting! Ahh!! Oh, and by the way...

ROFL oh man that'd be great! *gets up from rolling everywhere laughing her ass off* Okay, I was reading the latest chapter, chapter 5, of Utter Destruction of the holidays due to Anime and I got an idea. Basically, they take the Yu-Yu Hakusho cast and mix it with the Inu Yasha cast to ruin holidays and have fun and stuff. Anyway, Inu Yasha and Kei were telling a huge group of little kids about how the Easter Bunny didn't exist because they killed him! LOLOLOLOL They were all crying while the two told dead Easter Bunny jokes; oh man, it was HILLARIOUS! Those poor, poor kids! *clutches her sides and then falls over* Anyway, I was wondering what holiday they'd do next and I got a perfect idea, Halloween. What is the most commonly made fun of character to dress other anime characters as? In my opinion, I'd say Sailor Moon. So, picture this, Inu Yasha as Sailor Moon and Shippou as Sailor Chibi-moon! *snickers and falls over laughing again* Oh, I should write a fic with that sometime.^_^ *snickers* Anyone else think so?^_^ Hey, send me some funny cast costume ideas and I probably will!^_^ lol

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Venus Aeternus- Yeah, I know, but you think he would really be in his right mind? I mean, even just enough to take advantage of the situation? He has too much pride.^_^; lol As for the future Inu, normally I'd say, "You'll seee...", but since it's this chapter after all, yeah, it is the future Inu. Heh, yeah, Inu in modern clothes= dreamy. =^-^= Oh, and sorry, there should be one more interruption of the moment type thing before the actual lemony chapter, but don't worry, it won't be long now.^_~ *giggles* They have to work for it damnit! Muahahaha! Oh, another comment, woohoo! Yeah, you got most of it right, but I bet you can't guess the history part. Ahahaha! *does the knowing dance* Yeah, um hmm, um hmm. Oh, and no worries about the update thing.^_^ You asked and you're sweet so I let ya know.^_~* Enjoy the chapter!

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Solus Nox- You are so sweet!=^-^= *squeals happily* Yeah, the time thing would get a little confusing...if I had decided not to put in a history chapter.^_~ Muahaha! Inu has to explain what happened after she left right?^_~* Yeah, anyway, there'll be a little bit of info split between two chapters to make it a bit easier.^_^ Hope it'll help! Thanks for the virtual flower by the way.^_~*

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Ember- *giggles like a schoolgirl (and hangs head for it)* Yeah, pretty much.^_^ I tend to have a lot of foreshadowing and confusion and then one day, it all clicks. *snickers* This is so much fun! I'm going to have to write another fic after this.^-^ Oh, but don't worry, this is the climax, not the end.^_~ There should still be another... oh, maybe 10 or 11 chapters left at least.

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Disclaimer: I don't own Inuyasha or any of the characters in it. If I did I'd be rich, but I'm not... and if I had lots of money I'd probably spend it on anime anyway so pleeaasseee, don't sue me.^_^ lol

Oh, and as always,

_= thoughts *_* = sound/ italicized "_" = speech

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Memories of the Present

Chapter 23: Sweet Dreams

So, that's how it happened... A tired hanyou stared downwards at his crestfallen love. Her eyes were swollen, puffy from crying, and her hands were covered in blood and filth. Her clothes were soiled and hair tousled, but to him, she was more beautiful than the heavens. She was his heaven. He dropped down into the well gracefully, being very careful to avoid landing on his sleeping beauty. Tenderly, he bent down, picking her up as one arm slipped beneath her knees, and the other beneath her arms. He then turned in a half circle, towards the opening, and jumped out. Opening the shrine doors, he headed to the only room he had ever known of true comfort, her bedroom.

Tenderly setting her down on the bed, he whisked a stray bunch of her glistening, raven hair, as it fell across her face. Sighing, he sat down next to her bed, head in hand, and simply watched her sleep with drooping eyes.

And to think... I had always thought that she had left me for another. Kind of ironic how I *was* that other. He sighed sadly, remembering days long since past. It barely seems all that long ago, and yet...

He moved towards where she lay, head rested on her lower arm, and looked her over once more. It had been so long, and she as still has beautiful as he remembered. Gently, he ran his fingers through her hair, feeling it's texture, longing to take in every part of her as he once had the chance to do. 

... and I let it slip by me.

"I didn't understand...," he whispered, as if she could feel his every word as he could, "how much I cared... until it was too late." With a heart broken sigh, he brushed the rest of her ebony locks from her face, exposing her neck and the necklace that lye there. He had almost forgotten about the necklace and fingered it almost wonderingly. That's right... I made this for her...

Kagome stirred slightly in her sleep, unconsciously touching where Inu Yasha had nipped at her earlier that week. Oh, how he remembered that. He had spent months thinking about that night, what it meant, why it happened. He inhaled deeply and smiled with remembrance; those were the days. He closed his eyes and rested his forehead against the edge of her bed, but moved until he found a comfortable spot. His nose had hit his hand, still fingering the pendant's band around her neck. Inu Yasha nuzzled a little more closely to Kagome's sleeping form and draped a protective arm over her torso. He wanted to be near her... no, he *needed* to be near her. Drawing her body closer, he nuzzled her neck gently with the bridge of his nose and inhaled again; gods she smelled good. Had it really been so long? Frankly, at this moment, he didn't understand how he had survived for so long without her. At this moment, he really was complete.

Shaking his head to rouse himself, he rose and began his way out of the door and into the hall. He stopped, turning abruptly, and entered a nearby room, leaving with a moistened cloth. He set the cloth on Kagome's forehead and journeyed downstairs, returning with a clay bowl full of water. Slowly, carefully, he cleaned the wounds on Kagome's body. He didn't want to wake her, so he strayed from the more sensitive regions and settled for cleaning her hands, which, by far, were the bloodiest. When all of the blood was gone, he went to work wiping the mud and dirt away. After her hands were clean, he began to look at where she had touched her skin, spreading the filth. Inu Yasha decided that the worst place was now her cheeks, as she had tried to wipe away her tears. From the cheeks came the neck, and from there, well, he didn't know; he never got any further.

He breathed in Kagome's scent, affecting him as if it were a drug, a wonderful, wonderful drug. He began to relax and stretched his muscles as far as he could manage; he yawned, baring his teeth and curling his tongue in the process. How could she do this to him? How could she always relax him so easily? She stirred in her sleep, mumbling dejectedly and rolling a little closer to him. Kagome would've fallen off of the bed if he hadn't been there; but she knocked right into him instead, burying his face in the crook of her neck.

Ooooooohhhh Kami... His eyes shot open as realization sunk in. She was right there; *he* was right there. Oh, he could almost taste her, something that his senses demanded now that he'd thought about it. Unlike the time before, he was now wide awake and could feel his heartbeat quicken as she murmured into her pillow, his lips as his tongue grazed across them, unconsciously at first, but then nervously. Damned Kagome! He hadn't felt like this in centuries and he certainly had no damned clue what to do about it! Any blockade he had once built to push her away, to prevent things like this, all of it was gone... well, most of it anyway. The only thing keeping him from her now was a conscience, something he seemed to grow over time, among a few other cultivated emotions. As he licked her, he wondered if he had changed at all. I mean, sure, he knew that he had. He had become a bit more sensitive, a bit nicer, and a *hell* of a lot more knowledgeable... in certain areas, or at least that's what he was wont to believe. But still, was change really a good thing? What if she liked him better before?

He moaned softly and realized that he had been nibbling at her again; Damned Kagome..., his mind groaned huskily. Taking a deep breath, he figure now was not the time for him to be getting nervous, and much less so for him to be having second thoughts. When she woke up, she'd need him there more than ever, and he wasn't going to run away now, not this time at least. 

"Mreow" 

Pulled abruptly form his thoughts, the hanyou jumped and stared in shock at the obese cat sitting to his right. "Yeah, you're right." He sighed. "I wonder why I had never noticed you letting me play with you so easily back then. I mean now I understand, but I hadn't even considered it before." With another sigh and a slight shake of the head, he stood and mumbled, "idiot..."

He went downstairs to get a drink of water, needing to leave before doing something he probably wouldn't regret after all.

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"Kagome!" Miroku, Sango, Shippou, and Kaede came running long the path towards the well. They had been on their way to see Kagome off, but Sango urged Kirara to move faster after they had heard the screaming. Upon reaching the clearing, the only signs of struggle had to do with one figure, crouched near the well with his head in his lap and Kagome's bag wrapped in his arms.

As they approached, Shippou rushed up to yell at him and demand he tell where Kagome was, but seeing the state the hanyou was in, he became more afraid than demanding. He had never, ever seen him like this before. "I...Inu Yasha?" 

There was no sound, no movement, and if not for the beating of his heart, Shippou may have believed him dead. Suddenly, soft laughter spooled from the hanyou, dark, anguish filled chuckles that left them all chilled to the bone. "She's not coming Shippou."

"Wh... what?" The kit took a step back, startled, but was stopped before he could say any more.

"She fell into the well and it sealed. She took part of the jewel with her. She's not coming back Shippou, and we can't bring her back." Inu Yasha's shoulders began to shake, but not with laughter now. Shippou gawked unbelievingly at him while everyone else in the clearing simply stared, slowly closing their mouths, as they had not realized they had been hanging open. The hanyou's shaking became slightly more violent and he looked up as footsteps approached him. Sango gave him a big hug, cradled him, and cried with him. Miroku held Sango and lay his hand on Inu Yasha's shoulder. Shippou slowly walked over, about to ask him to say it wasn't true, to take it back, but he couldn't; he had no voice left to ask with.

Silent tears spilled forth from the kit's eyes as he rushed into Inu Yasha's arms, quickly beginning to sob as hard as his little kitsune heart could take. Kaede simply walked over to the mourning group, lay a comforting hand on Inu Yasha's other shoulder, and left, silently walking back to the hut from which she had emerged only a little while before.

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"Inu Yasha!!!" Kagome had woken with a start to find herself laying, well, now sitting in her bedroom... alone. "A... a dream?" She frantically scanned every inch of her hands and, finding no blood, flexed them, cringing as her sensitive fingered bombarded her every nerve in searing pain. What had happened? Had someone found her? By the cloth and the bowl of water, that would probably be a 'yes'. What was the last thing she remembered? The well! That's right; she and Inu Yasha had a fight and she tripped and... oh no... the light... was it just a dream? What happened to the well?! Fearing the worst, she threw her covers off of her, dashing towards the door. She had to know, dream or not she had to make sure!

Kagome jumped out of bed and grabbed for the door, almost being hit as Inu Yasha came barreling in, glass of water in hand. He took a step back as she stopped, looked at him, face full of fright and sorrow, and lunged at him, almost knocking him over with the exerted force. She sobbed brokenly into his chest, arms wrapped around his waist, and clung to him while he jut stood there; he was shocked to say the least.

Coming out of it, he gently wrapped his arms around her and gave her a soft squeeze before releasing her and taking a step back, pushing her away slightly at the same time. He could see the uncertainty in her eyes, the pain, the confusion, and surprisingly, he smiled. Tears highlighted her broken heat as she gaped at him; here she was, in pain and needing him, and he just SMILES at her?! Was he... was he really enjoying...

Before she could get any further, his smile grew a little wider and he put a delicate finger to her lips. Hushing her and asking her in a silent plea to be patient, he turned, looking around, and put the glass of water he had on her desk. Chuckling softly at her bewildered expression, he simply walked over, picked her up, and sat on the bed. Since his legs were crossed, he gently sat her in his lap and held her tightly, relishing in the feel of her against him and the relaxed state he always seemed to be in when she was near.

"Inu... Inu Yasha?"

"Hmmm?," he mumbled softly.

Eyes ablaze with new tears, she threw her arms around him and began sobbing anew; "Oh Inu Yasha! I thought I'd never see you again!" She began to cry even harder and he embraced her gently; "I thought the well had sealed and I'd have to..."

"It did."

"What?" She looked up, stunned at his bluntness. He had said it like it was the most obvious thing in the world. 

"It did seal Kagome. You can't go back."

"But... you... how..." She began to pull away from him subtly. Sensing her fear, Inu Yasha let her lean just so far away from him, while he rubbed her back soothingly.

He chuckled softly, "Don't worry, it's me... just not exactly the me you might remember."

"You mean..." Her eyes watered, "you..."

He just nodded and held her close, "Yes Kagome. It's been a long time."

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Sure he was a bit shocked when she fainted, but he couldn't really blame her now could he? I mean, how would he feel if he were in the same position? Sure, he had gotten used to the way things were long ago, but Kagome, to her, she had been with everyone only that morning, and now she'd never see them again. She never even got to say goodbye.

Inu Yasha dabbed at the cloth at her forehead. Deciding that it was too dry, he rewet it and placed it back where it had rested for the last thirty minutes or so. Kagome woke up with Inu Yasha sitting over her, cloth in hand, and a drip in her eye. She bolted up and swiped at her eye, fruitlessly trying to get it out, and only calmed when he held under her chin and wiped the drop with a dry cloth. Kagome's lip trembled and she fought wither herself not to breakdown again. She was slightly ashamed that she had fainted, but really, she thought it was probably better than her crying again. She had, after all, been doing that MUCH too often lately. She didn't want him to see her as weak.

She realized that she'd been staring and looked away, only to find him still watching her when she turned back. "What?"

He blinked as if startled and looked away, cheeks slightly pink; "Sorry.," he mumbled and was suddenly very interested in his task of putting the cloth back in the bowl.

She rubbed her upper arms nervously, "So..." He looked at her, eyes begging for her to ask something, anything, "you really are Inu Yasha?" 

He laughed softly and nodded, "Is it that hard to tell?"

She blinked at him and blushed, looking down guiltily, "N...no, it's just that... well..."

He smiled and nuzzled her head upward with his forehead, looking deeply into her eyes; "Relax, I was just teasing." She smiled and laughed softly. Quickly suppressing her giggles, she looked up at him, almost waiting for something. "Was I really *that* bad? Don't worry, nothing mean nor rude is coming out of this mouth today."

Kagome cocked her head slightly and grinned, "Oh yeah?" She ran her finger thoughtfully across her lower lip, "Well, this is different."

To hide the sudden color rising to his cheeks, he chuckled nervously and pulled her against him. "That's not the only thing that's going to be different this time." She curled against his chest happily and he closed his eyes, concentrating on his quickening pulse, "We have a lot to talk about Kagome, but for now, it's time for you to rest."

"Where is everyone?"

"Hmm?" He looked down on her quizzically. "Oh, they're gone until tomorrow."

"How do you know?" She snuggled a little more and sighed contentedly.

"They knew what would happen today, and figured you'd want some time to adjust." Getting a confused look from her, he whispered, "Kagome, had you ever found it odd that everyone took to me so quickly when you had first come through the well? I was immediately Souta's hero, your mom played with my ears and had no fear at all, and Buyo let me torture him while we 'played'. Didn't that strike you as odd?"

An inaudible mumble was heard from the body in his arms and he stood up, laying her in bed and crawling in behind her, though over the covers which she was under. "I hope you don't mind me napping here." He wrapped his arm around her and pulled her closer, "I'm not really used to the floor anymore."

Nuzzling gently into her soft, thick mane, he closed his eyes and whispered a sweet goodnight before joining her in the first peaceful slumber he'd had in five centuries.


	24. In the Attic

Okay guys, this one's long and I got tired towards the end; sorry.^_^; Kagome's thoughts concerning his explanation may get a little confusing at parts, but bear with me okay? They're just things that she would be bound to consider in time anyway. You know I did! Lol As for the way Inu Yasha seems a bit OOC, I found that necessary for him to be a bit comforting. He'll revert a bit after this chapter is over.^_^ That's about it; enjoy!^_^

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Merith- Lol don't worry, there should be another 10 chapters or so at least. This is most certainly NOT the end, and you have to have some history and explanation stuffs in there too right?^_^ *giggles* Still more fun surprises along the way! Love ya! *hugs*

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haruka-san – No worries; this is one of two explanation chapters.^_^ To make it short, the Inu Yasha we've been seeing is the regular, Feudal era Inu Yasha. The one that kissed her and is with her now is the Inu Yasha that's still alive in her time. She just didn't know he was there until now.^_^ Hope that helps!

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Disclaimer: I don't own Inuyasha or any of the characters in it. If I did I'd be rich, but I'm not... and if I had lots of money I'd probably spend it on anime anyway so pleeaasseee, don't sue me.^_^ lol

Oh, and as always,

_= thoughts *_* = sound/ italicized "_" = speech

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Memories of the Present

Chapter 24: In the Attic

Morning came as it always did, and our hanyou had an open reminder of how late Kagome really slept; he'd forgotten about that part. Through the centuries past, he had gotten used to waking up at a decent hour, though he often worked late to make up for it. He still didn't need much sleep; it's not like he was suddenly human after all.

He was almost startled when she woke up after hours of him watching her sleep, but he smiled and squeezed her slightly none-the-less. Kagome's eyes fluttered open and soon she realized that she wasn't alone. She was a little worried until she noticed that something had been tickling her arm; that's what had woken her up in the first place. She spied a couple loose strands of silver hair dancing across her skin and smiled; it wasn't a dream...

... unless *this* was; "Inu Yasha?"

A slight grin spread across his face as he nuzzled more closely to the back of her neck; "Yeah?" 

The dopey grin grew as she sighed and settled herself against him, if a bit nervously. "Please tell me I'm not dreaming."

He chuckled and held her tightly; "You're not."

Contented with that response, she turned over, still in his arms, and buried her face in his chest. She could hear his heartbeat quicken and she giggled slightly, cuddling up all the more. While he was distracted, she reached up and tweaked one of his ears, drawing a sharp intake of breath from him. She smiled, unsure at first, and began rubbing towards the base of one ear. Inu Yasha nuzzled her and then pulled away slightly. He hadn't breathed in almost a minute and it was starting to worry her. He seemed to have a look of intense concentration on his face, almost like he was trying to hold something back. Some thing like... he was purring! CUUTTEE!!!!

He hid his face and she giggled, happily rubbing his ear until she noticed the other one twitching. It was dancing around a bit more than usual, so, with a soft, "May I have this dance?" and a bewildered expression from our hanyou, she began rubbing that ear instead. The one she had previously occupied slumped over, completely relaxed and unmoving while the current ear got its well-deserved attention. After a while, she switched again and realized that they BOTH wanted to be rubbed. She sighed and laughed, "And they call women demanding." Kagome laughed and Inu Yasha looked at her quizzically, almost chuckling himself. He was too happy to care about anything right about then, anything but her that is, and was afraid that he wouldn't be able to get this silly grin off of his face for weeks. Not that he'd mind of course, but he'd get teased for it a bit, he was sure. Oh well, as long as Kagome was with him, I didn't matter. It had definitely been worth the wait.

The hanyou sighed and reluctantly removed himself from her back. Kagome had protested a bit, but Inu Yasha knew that they were running out of "alone time", and he really needed to talk with her before her family came home. Of course, he couldn't do anything on an empty stomach.

After telling her to stay in bed and sleep a little more, Kagome curled up and held her pillow tightly. She was missing him already, even though he had just left her side. More than anything, she was afraid that she might just wake up and he would no longer be there to comfort her. In her heart she knew that what he had said was true; he was Inu Yasha, but still, there were the subtle differences. It wasn't like she didn't like those differences, they were just... new; she'd have to get used to them because damned if she was going to let him go, especially now. 

As she waited, Kagome's mind wandered to the gang, their friends. Her heart ached and she felt tears begin to well up in her eyes once more, but now wasn't the time for this; he'd have to talk to her about it eventually, and she would try not to worry about it until then. At that time there would be plenty of sorrow to make up for now. Still waiting, she grew more and more anxious until, at least, the door opened and she laughed; Inu Yasha came strolling into the room with a tray and a bowl. The tray was for Kagome; it consisted of a few pieces of French toast and some milk while the bowl was for himself, filled to the brim with, what else, ramen of course. She gratefully reached out for the breakfast when Buyo decided to make a grand appearance. He ran through the halls, well, as fast as he could anyway, and ran right under the hanyou's legs, causing him to trip and everything to go flying through the air. If she had gone to a circus that morning, she would not have seen an acrobatic feat such as this! He gracefully caught the tray in one hand, the plate with French toast on it, and her milk in the other, but managed to forget about his own breakfast, well, until it landed on his head at least.

She tried, oh how she tried to stifle her laughter, but honestly, who could after a scene like that? Kagome cracked up and fell over in bed, hitting her head on the wall in the process. Though Inu Yasha noticed, it was more than obvious that Kagome had no knowledge of the bump and continued to laugh at the drenched hanyou in front of her. Of course, he stormed off into the bathroom, pulling noodles out of his hair the entire way, but stopped for only a second to glare at the feline still under his feet before heading off.

After Kagome got over her laughing fit, she ate her breakfast and took the dishes downstairs before returning to her room. She noticed his clothes laying on the ground outside the bathroom door and decided to wash his shirt while he was in there. His pants, thankfully (yeah, thankfully to who hmm?), seemed to be untouched, so she left them there for him to change into when he got out of the shower. For a minute she almost knocked, almost walked in to show him how to use it; it was strange really, having him know her world better then she when before, even the simplest of things needed a great deal of explanation. It was kind of nice, but still... Her heart sank slightly in her chest, and she shook her head to be rid of the thoughts; there would be time for those later. 

She continued downstairs, his shirt in hand, and put it into the washer, but really, how could she have known that turning on the washing machine would do wicked things to the temperature of his bath water?

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Okay, so she knew, but had forgotten, that's what she told him anyway. When he started yelling she cringed; she knew what was coming. Thankfully for her, his shirt was in the wash. Sure, it was the washer's fault that he was pissed now, but at least she was too busy staring at him to hear him yelling at her right?

Gods he was gorgeous. The way he stood there, glistening snow-white locks dangling loosely over his shoulders and chest, hanging down far enough to rest next to his belly button, it was enough to make her faint. His skin still shone with water droplets, as he had run out of the shower too quickly to dry off. Now that she thought about it, she had never noticed that he had been wearing modern clothes. Sure, it was an obvious conclusion, but she had never even taken notice of it, even when she brought his shirt down to be washed.

Of course, now he was wearing no shirt to speak of, but if memory served her, it was a regular white T-shirt, a bit baggy, but still slightly form fitting. He sported a pair of black jeans that hung off of his hips and flared slightly towards the bottom. They too were not tight, but they were not loose either, and, much to her amusement, he still seemed to have an obvious lack of footwear. She slightly wondered how he could have a job with no shoes when it hit her; she no longer had any idea about his life. He'd been alive so long, he must have a job and a house, things that she had taken for granted. He obviously couldn't live in a tree. Just how much had he changed?

Sometime in between the shoes and the housing arrangements, he had noticed that she was looking him over. He grinned knowingly and cleared his throat, at first receiving nothing, but at a second glance, gaining a small blush from the girl before him. She began to wring her hands nervously and he came to sit next to her.

At feeling his presence, Kagome stiffened slightly. The fact that she knew almost nothing about this Inu Yasha was still wreaking havoc on her mind. She loved him so much and the bond was definitely there, if not stronger, but how would this change things? Would it be for the better?

Inu Yasha noticed a slight look of worry flutter across her face. He wrapped his arm around her waist and pulled her closer to him. Feeling Kagome stiffen slightly, he just sat there until she was more comfortable, and then began; "Kagome... look, we need to talk."

She gulped and took a slow, deep breath before closing her eyes and nodding. "I know." It had finally come.

She allowed herself to be held against him as he spoke, not wanting him to see her tears, lest it make them worse. She always cried more when she knew she had someone there to comfort her, and knowing that he was already in that position didn't make holding them back any easier. After a slight pause he began, and she listened patiently, trying to take in every word and, at the same time, ignore the pain that plagued her heart.

"I guess we'll start with that day, yesterday for you." She cringed slightly and enveloped herself more deeply into his embrace. "Everyone had gotten back, or woken up; I remember kicking Miroku's ass for being perverted... again." He chuckled softly at that. "They were apparently coming to see you off when it all happened. When they heard you call out, they ran, but made it far too late to do any good. From that day on I made a decision Kagome; one that I've stuck to for five centuries, and one that I will continue to stand by." He lay his head on hers and breathed deeply, rubbing Kagome's back as she tried to muffle her sobs against his chest.

"When you left I... I thought you wanted to go back to be with someone else. I had overheard you telling Sango that I kissed you and I was outraged. Of course, back then I didn't have the guts..."

"not like I do now either," he mumbled softly, "... and I thought you were trying to cover up for someone else. When you wouldn't tell me who it was, I got mad and that's where the whole argument began. Kind of ironic isn't it? I was jealous of myself." Kagome looked up at him, an almost frightened expression adorning her features. So he *had* kissed her! Wait, and that's why he had denied it, because he didn't know? He must've hated her! But... if this Inu Yasha kissed her... did he actually care about her? Why didn't he come see her earlier then? For the first time since yesterday, Kagome saw the past and present Inu Yashas as two totally different people. Her mind jumbled and played with the significance and the possibilities that went along with what had obviously been such a mistake, and, needless to say, it scared her. If he hadn't kissed her, would the well have been sealed? But then, if it wasn't, would he be there to kiss her in the first place and start the whole mess? No matter how hard she tried, she couldn't figure it out, much less be upset at him for it, so she gave in and decided to listen a bit more, hoping it would answer some of the many questions bogging down her thoughts.

"... When you left, you took the Shikon no Tama with you, but you left the shards behind. Demons still came for the shards, but without the possibility of completing the jewel, the demons became less frequent and Naraku decided to show himself. He could no longer hide behind the power of his shards because they were still acting strangely. No one knew why they went crazy and no one knew how they just disappeared, no one but us at least. Eventually, it was decided that a higher power had taken them or that fate had its way, which, I suppose, is true, and the matter was put to rest and left to legend.

Naraku was severely weakened without the aid of the shards, and we easily defeat him, though we lost a few people in the battle." Inu Yasha held her more closely and sighed. He would wait to tell her, she couldn't take that right now.

"Miroku and Sango got together many years later, and raised three kids, two boys and a girl. We made sure that the boy would not grow up as lecherous as his father, but we had no trouble there, as lechery flows to every other son in Miroku's family. All of the kids were raised as both villagers and demon hunters, and after a few hundred years, Sango's village had been reborn and their business thrived. By then, youkai had become less common, mainly keeping to themselves as the rest killed each other off. When the Europeans came, most of them were killed or sold into an odd type of slavery. Luckily, I took up fort with Sesshoumaru, and we both survived."

She looked amazed, "You... and SESSHOUMARU?!"

He laughed, "Yeah, we eventually set aside our differences. It's the 'blood is thicker than water' thing, but he's still fun to piss off."

"You mean... he's still alive?" Inu Yasha could feel her tense and smiled.

"Don't worry, youkai aren't really *much* of a threat anymore." He watched her gawk at him for a moment and decided to continue. "Over the years, demons became more or less extinct, and more hanyou were born. We played a great part in wars and battles throughout history, both bloody and peaceful, but the demons had decided to stay out of human wars and sat back to watch."

"What about you?"

"Me? I had my promise to keep and I'd keep it no matter what. I fought in some battles, but stayed the hell away from Hiroshima; even we knew it was stupid to join that one. Demons may be hard to kill, but it's not impossible."

She lifted her head to look at him, "Inu Yasha, tell me something?"

He gazed deeply into her chocolate depths, "Anything." 

"What's this promise you keep talking about? It sounds important, but you haven't told me."

His eyes widened under her gaze, sunny, golden pools contrasting with the rising blush in his cheeks. He gulped loudly and shifted uncomfortably, focusing his sight on the room around them, as to avoid her stare while he spoke.

He spoke softly, tenderly, almost too low for her to hear. Kagome leaned closer to him, watching the emotions play across his face and dance through his eyes. She wondered why he seemed so nervous. Maybe he had been trying to avoid telling her? She snapped back to attention when he started, face softened and sad, emotions glazed over with those of longing and pain.

"When I lost you..." He seemed to choke on those words, " I made a vow Kagome. I vowed that one-day, I would live long enough to see you again. I would live to tell you... to say what I had always been afraid to." He closed his eyes as the threat of tears pushed on, unconsciously tightening his grip on the trembling miko in his arms. "I lived for you Kagome. I spent my time waiting, watching over the land that this shrine would eventually stand on. I was there when your grandfather was born, when your mother was born, and... when you were born, Kagome."

Kagome felt a tug in her heart and her eyes began to overflow again. She clutched to him desperately, holding his back and pulling him against her with all of her strength. He had really been there; he had waited... for her?

"When I heard the shrine was being built, I was so happy; it was almost time. I watched your family grow, protecting them all throughout their lives. Your grandfather and mother remember, but I'm afraid your brother doesn't. You, on the other hand, wouldn't have believed it if you had remembered."

"The... the dream? Daddy?"

He began swaying gently, rocking her sobbing form, "That's right Kagome; it was me." A single tear fell as he watched her sob uncontrollably into his arms. He had never forgiven himself for letting her father get killed, and he probably never would. If only he had been there! He should've known that something was wrong, but he had been stuck at work. What a lame excuse; it was no excuse. 

Feeling something on her hand, Kagome looked over and was surprised to watch a teardrop fall. Looking up, she saw him; his beautiful amber eyes were closed, hidden slightly by furrowed brows and a curtain of snow colored bangs. His ears were not only drooped, but beginning to lie flat against his head; he looked like he was in so much pain.

Tenderly she raised a hand, her sorrow momentarily forgotten as she tried to relieve his, stroking a single tear from his cheek. His eyes burst open, startled, trembling gaze focused on her, and her alone. Kagome dropped her eyes for only a second, and leaned closer to him, laying her head against his neck, the bridge of her nose just under his chin. One hand still cupping his face, the other wrapped around his neck, and she spoke to him softly, soothingly, "What were they like?"

Of course, that wasn't in the least what he had expected her to say, but he was more than happy for the distraction. He didn't exactly enjoy focusing on his guilt. "Who?"

"My family."

How can she sound like this; he didn't understand. Moments ago she was sobbing, and now she lay against him, attempting to comfort him instead? No matter the reason, he was glad for it.

"Your mother always liked to play with my ears. She would..." He laughed softly, "she had lots of friends, but she wouldn't play with a lot of them. She was like you, always studying, always busy, even when she was little. At night I would sneak in her window and tell her stories. She had heard all of the bed time stories, so I started telling her about you."

Kagome sighed happily, imagining Inu Yasha telling her mother bedtime stories. It was funny in a way, him being so good with kids after all this time, but it was comforting in so many more. "What did you tell her?"

"I told her how one day she'd have a daughter named Kagome. (I wonder if that would cause her to name her daughter Kagome and make IY tell her that and cycle through again. Man, time is weird.) I told her that you'd be beautiful, strong, and stubborn as an ox." Kagome sniffled and gave an annoyed pout; he laughed. "You know, whenever your grandfather caught me telling her stories, he'd yell at me and chase me with those stupid demon ward things. They never work, but MAN they're annoying!" Kagome giggled slightly at this, remembering all of the times he'd chased Inu Yasha with them in the past, and how she'd always have to break them up. 

Inu Yasha... She began to remember the well, her friends, and Inu Yasha, her Inu Yasha. The pain and the memories began to flood back and, seeing this, the hanyou tried his best to take her mind off of it.

"You want to know why your grandfather's always chasing me with those stupid things?" She sniffled and nodded into his chest. "When he was little, he climbed up into the God tree where I had been sleeping. It was dark so he didn't see me, but when I noticed his scent was so close, I woke up and opened one eye. I guess he wasn't expecting it because he jumped and fell out of the tree, breaking his arm. Even I wasn't fast enough to catch him! Of course, his mom didn't believe that there was a monster in the tree. People didn't believe in demons by then and she figured it was just a child's imagination. You know, only you, your mom, your grandpa, and Souta have ever caught me off-guard."

"Really?"

"Mhmmm." She had begun to calm down a little, and he was more than thankful for that. He nuzzled the side of her head gently and she instinctively nuzzled back.

"Tell me about when I was little."

He chuckles, "You were a little brat."

"What?!"

Hehe, she's awake now! 

"Seriously, you would get into all kinds of trouble and I'd have to bail you out. It was a wonder your mother ever kept track of you! Before that I had thought humans were weak, but you women are scary!" 

She laughed and hit him playfully. "So... why didn't you ever come see me?"

"What?"

He watched as she pulled from him slightly, looking deeply into his eyes again. "If you've been alive all of this time, why didn't you ever come see me? You've been watching over my family; did you just decide not to watch over me?"

Inu Yasha was taken back at this. She looked so hurt! How could she think something like that?! "Kagome, I couldn't see you. If I had been there and interacted with my past self, who knows what effect that would've had on the time stream! I probably would've beaten the shit out of myself for all of the times you came home crying! I didn't know how much I was hurting you back then." He shook his head in a half-hearted attempt to rid himself of the memories; "Besides, I never really knew when you would come home, so it was really a wonder I never ran into you two... or, I guess I should say us. It wasn't that I didn't watch over you, I just couldn't talk to you. Instead, I watched you sleep and attempt to ignore that annoying Hojo guy. I also made it a little easier on you by talking to your family. They had all already known me, with the exception of Souta, so it wasn't hard for me to visit, especially after my past self came the first time. That's why no one had a problem with me, and why your mother didn't have any real objections to you traveling into the Sengoku Jedai; she knew that you'd at least live until this day, so she didn't worry as much."

"And you told them what would happen?"

He nods, "It was easier on them that way, and they knew you'd want some time to adjust."

Kagome pulled away from him slightly and curled up in his lap. As the hanyou watched, she hugged herself and began rocking again, worrying him to no end. "What's wrong?"

"What's WRONG?!" He flinched and she sighed, bringing new tears to life, "I... I'm sorry, it's just, this is all so much... and what about Inu Yasha... the past Inu Yasha? He'll have to go through all of that pain because of me. I wish I could stop it, I wish..."

Inu Yasha put his finger to her lips, "Don't wish that; it's better this way."

"But..."

"I had to learn the hard way; that's just how it is. I know you don't want to see me hurt, but it's for the best." Before she could object, he had pulled her off of his lap and stood up. He walked across the room and stopped, turning in the doorway to look at her over his shoulder. "Coming?" Reluctantly, she rose and followed him.

He led her down the hall and pulled on a little knob on the ceiling. A set of makeshift stairs folded down and he ascended into the attic. She had never been here before. Actually, come to think of it, she didn't even know that they *had* an attic. 

Looking around, there seemed to be only one light source, a dim bulb that hung, swinging from a rafter in the ceiling. The room itself was almost high enough for Kagome to stand in the middle, where it sloped upwards on both sides. There was a window in the back, but it was covered over with cardboard, and the only way out was the stairs, which were currently being blocked by the hanyou. In the dreary light, she noted only one item in the entire room, and gave a startled gasp. "It... it can't be!"


	25. Dreams and Nightmares

Warning, slightly citrusy! Sorry guys, but next time a situation comes up like this, it should be the lemon.^_^ Hehe, they sure do suffer a lot don't they?^_^; Wow, long chapter too.^_^ Maybe I should've split it up... nahhh.^_~* *giggles*

Yeah, but sorry about the prolonged updates guys; I've been REALLY busy lately.~_~ You know, it seems to be getting harder to write these latest chapters. I'm spending more time on them to try and make them at least decent, but maybe that's just because not a lot is going on. Hopefully it will get easier in the next couple of chapters, but still, you guys are the best.^_^ All of the comments you guys give me help me a lot, especially considering that I don't have to ask.^_^

You know, I don't get that. I mean, a lot of authors threaten their readers that they won't update unless they get comments, but why? You should write for yourself. Though it is always important to please the fans, one shouldn't write jut to get comments. Frankly, I don't understand it at all. Why threaten those that you wish to read your fic?

Anyway, enough of my rambling.^_^ Still not much going on here, but there should be exploring fun in the next chapter so it's all good.^_^ *giggles* But seriously, you guys ARE the best.^_^ *hugs everyone* love you guys!

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Disclaimer: I don't own Inuyasha or any of the characters in it. If I did I'd be rich, but I'm not... and if I had lots of money I'd probably spend it on anime anyway so pleeaasseee, don't sue me.^_^ lol

Oh, and as always,

_= thoughts *_* = sound/ italicized "_" = speech

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Memories of the Present

Chapter 25: Dreams and Nightmares

"M... my backpack?" Kagome stared in shock at the parcel on the ground. It was leaning against the wall, covered in the thick coat of dust that seemed to have engulfed the room like a sheet on a bed. The yellow, though well blanketed, was still visible, and seemed as bright as a summer's day. Kagome bent down and hesitantly held out a quaking hand towards the memory past, almost expecting it to vanish as soon as she could feel the cloth beneath her fingers. It's not possible...

The hanyou laughed, "Of course not! That only lasted about fifty years, at most. I had new bags made from time to time, all of them looking like yours." He happily strode over to the bag, a warm fuzzy feeling consuming his entire being. Even after all this time, these memories, this sight, it all brought him more happiness than tears. He had long since accepted the idea of loss, so there was really nothing left but fond memories of times past. Inu Yasha sat down, patting the ground next to him softly, inviting her to sit with him. She obeyed, and watched closely as a clawed hand reached into the top of the sack to retrieve something; "See, here's what's left of your original bag."

Between his claws rested a scrap of cloth about the size of Kagome's hand. It was a brownish tint, having been stained by age, and was vacuum-sealed inside a small, clear baguette. She stared at it wonderingly; was this small, tattered, ancient thing really the backpack she had thrown over her shoulder just the morning before? How could it have survived so long, even with the vacuum seal? The seal hadn't even been invented until YEARS later! Studying the scrap that more closely, she noted how ragged and sodden it seemed to have become over the years, and wondered why he had had need of a backpack in the first place, one that looked exactly like hers none-the-less. It wasn't exactly like he had anything to carry, aside from Tetsussaiga, and the pack wouldn't have been able to fit the sword anyway.

Unbeknownst to the young miko, Inu Yasha had been indulgently pulling things from the bag while she stared at the cloth, and had been placing everything just outside of her line of sight. Pulling Kagome out of her thoughts, Inu Yasha cleared his throat and began presenting the previously placed items to her one by one, complete with an explanation to accompany each. The first set of things immediately sent her tear-streaked face into his arms again. Inu Yasha had presented her with Miroku's hand covering and prayer beads, along with Sango's cleaning cloth, the same one she used to buff her Hiraikotsu after a battle. He waited until she had calmed herself slightly before motioning for her to take them from him. Next he pulled out Shippou's bow, and a finely polished, enchanted golden arrow, curtsey of Kaede. All of these had been sealed as well, with the exception of the arrow, and Kagome fingered each one separately, sobbing softly and clinging to each while holding it close to her heart. As she put each down, she took specific care not to put it on any rough surface, as if it would suddenly shatter if pricked by even a single splinter in the aged wooden floor. As she set down the arrow, feeling the welcomed energy from it quickly dissipating, she was presented with an ancient book. It was preserved in such a way that she could still turn, read, and look upon each page, albeit carefully, but she could not touch them; it was just like her memories, like their friends.

As her fingers relished the feel of the old, worn leather, Kagome felt Inu Yasha's comforting arms tighten around her middle. "Some of it got damaged over time, but I saved copies of each entry." 

Kagome over her shoulder at him confusedly, "Entry?"

At his soft smile Kagome relaxed slightly. Gently, he opened the book, and she found it to be more than just an ordinary one; it was a journal. Inside was the story of their adventures, told by the people who had lived through them. It started with her arrival and ended with the defeat of Naraku, each passage told by each member of the group. Kagome flipped through the pages, briefly scanning each one and noticing, with a small giggle, how different they all were, yet how the major details were still the same. She sniffled slightly and wiped at her nose a minute before continuing, spirits slightly lifted as she now had something else to occupy her mind. As she turned to the section where she had last experienced, her heart wrenched in her chest, pain filling every orifice. She couldn't read anymore without the memories to keep her laughing; she couldn't take it anymore, and she threw the cover back down fiercely, covering her eyes and trying to suppress the sobs that were bound to escape her. Gently, Inu Yasha opened the book again and bade her to look at it once more. 

He had opened it to another section. This section had been damaged more so than the other, but next to each passage was another handwritten version, matching it, as far as she could tell, word for word; Inu Yasha must've made a copy for her. Lined one by one were letters from each of them, addressed to her, and her alone.

"They wanted you to know how much they cared, even when they could no longer tell you themselves."

Kagome swiped fruitlessly at her falling tears, "And the copies?"

"The originals were a little hard to read." He shrugged. How could be so casual about this?! Kagome's knees became weak, though they were not being used, and her stomach tied itself in knots; her heart ached as if it had just been removed forcefully by a rusty implement, and she could feel her breathing constrict. If not for the strong arms around her, she would've surely collapsed.

"Will it ever go away?," she whispered painfully.

Inu Yasha sighed and held her tightly. He had been afraid of this question, afraid of what to tell her. He didn't want to hurt her; she was in enough pain already, but he couldn't lie to her either, definitely not about this. Inu Yasha had to be honest with her. If only she hadn't asked yet; she should've had time. With a regretful sigh he cuddled her against him and wove his hands through her raven mane, to the back of her head; he steadied her against him, holding her so she wouldn't be able to lash out or escape; "No, " he said sadly, "probably not in your lifetime."

There was a sharp intake of breath, and then silence. This, he had NOT been expecting. As he gazed upon her, he couldn't help but cringe and close his eyes, fighting with himself not to turn away as well. The look on her face was so painful; why did she have to be so damned strong about this?! This wasn't a time for it, though he really wasn't one to talk. How many times had he done this to her? He didn't know, and he probably couldn't count that high; he doubted anyone could.

After a short time he felt her stir again, attempting to curl into him, almost as if she wanted his body to consume her own. Kagome stopped squirming and soon found another treasure in her hands, one she hadn't expected and, more importantly, hadn't noticed was missing.

Running her fingers timidly across his chest, she reached out to stroke his collarbone, where the rosary should've been; there was nothing but flesh and bone. Jerking upright, she stared deeply into his eyes, shock and confusion evident within her depthless globes. She began to back off a little, but seeing the hurt look in his eyes, stopped and soon calmed. After all this time, why would she need to be afraid? After every time he had almost given his life for her, after he had protected and been there for her, this is how she repaid him? It wasn't fair, and it certainly wasn't right. Kagome's eyes softened as an apologetic look fled across the sea of confusion and remorse. She had no reason to fear him, nor his freedom.

"H... how?," she whispered unbelievingly.

The hanyou just shrugged as his gaze traveled downward, watching as he rolled the beads between his fingers; "Kaede took them off. We realized that, though you held the subduing word, she had put them on in the first place, and so she had to be the one to take them off."

"And they're real? You kept them all this time?"

"They're my link to you." He laughed softly, "You want to test them?" She nodded, almost shyly, and he smiled. Maybe this would be interesting after all. He hadn't seen the beads work in a long time, and he had often wondered if they would still work at all. The dog demon turned, looking for something to test them on when...

"Sit!" *wham!*

"Damnit, that hurt!" Inu Yasha rubbed his wrist and scowled at her for a moment, seeing a smile slowly form deep within her eyes; she had missed doing that. Grumbling, he decided to let this one slide, he had practically asked for that one, and carefully set the rosary with the other momentos after the spell had worn off. He went to sit back down where he had previously been, and rummaged through the pack a little more, looking for anything else he might've missed. After checking all of the pockets, he presented a stack of vacuum-sealed cloth scraps, and a list of company names. "The scraps are all that's left of the other backpacks, and the list is of all of the names I could remember from your time. It really helped when I knew what to look for." 

Kagome wasn't exactly sure what that meant, but had decided to dismiss it for now. It wasn't like she needed another thing to worry about anyway. Lastly, Inu Yasha pulled out something which she had forgotten she'd lost, the vile of Shikon shards. 

The young miko snatched them up quickly and gaped, awed at the number of shards there were. "All of the ones that aren't in the jewel already are there." She looked at him curiously as he paused and took a deep breath, "All but one." 

Kagome watched in horror as Inu Yasha closed his eyes and, taking a single claw, split his chest open, blood beginning to pool across the floor. She screamed and ran to him, afraid and half believing that after all of this he was going to leave her. She couldn't even begin to comprehend what was happening as he roughly pushed her away and thrust his hand deep within his chest cavity, creating a large hole and ripping a chunk of flesh out from within. That's when she saw it, the shard. She could feel it glow, pulsating as it healed the wound the hanyou had just inflicted on himself. Why hadn't she sensed a shard in him? His chest began to glow a faint pink and, in a matter of minutes, was completely healed. Letting out a deep breath, Inu Yasha simply handed her the shard and smiled, almost amused with her reaction. 

Her jaw still hung loose as she stared at the shard in her hand, mind still fighting to believe even the first part of what she had just witnessed. When it refused to work, she looked to him with an expression of utter and hopeless confusion, almost pleading with him to explain.

"I didn't want to be *that* much older when I saw you again, so I drew on the shard's power so that I barely aged more than a few youkai years. I figured it would be easier on you to see me how you would have remembered me."

She looked down towards the shards in her hand and blinked, sending him a curious glance once more; "I didn't know you could do that... but if the shards are still tainted, how could you use this one?"

"Keh, it was easy.," he said, arms crossed and the familiar smug grin returning with a vengeance, "Kaede found a way to purify that shard, but the procedure wouldn't work on the others; they were too big." 

Kagome held the shard close to her heart, Kaede... thank you... Suddenly, the world began to shift, wavering and pulsing with life reborn. Kagome didn't understand it, and clutched the shard that much closer to her bosom. She could see a light surrounding them, separating from their auras only long enough to slither across the hardened floor like a snake towards its prey, flowing to surround the arrow Kaede had left for her. Kagome picked up the golden rod with a trembling hand and held both that, and the shard close to her heart, her very essence instinctively reaching out with all of the power it could muster. The Shikon no Tama began to glow slightly, fazing in and out from beneath her shirt with the throbbing of the shard's presence. The other shards, in turn, began to respond to this feeling, this light. A wave of power swept through the room, shattering the hanging bulb and knocking Inu Yasha backwards, causing him to fight just to attempt to sit up. He didn't know what was happening, but he had to find out.

Struggling, he finally pulled himself over to Kagome, the incandescent shine still bursting forth from the jewel, and reached out to touch her. The force of the energy shield threw him back slightly, causing him to smack against the wall and slide, very painfully, down it again, but he was determined to fight it, more so now than ever. Inu Yasha rose, ignoring the newly formed scorch mark on his hand, and inched forward, dragging himself towards her. The old boards were softened and easily allowed his claws to penetrate them, creating a firm grip to aid him in his struggle. Through all of the noise and winds, he could still hear a sickening tearing sound. His fear that it may have had to do with Kagome quickly vanished as a blinding pain shot through his arm and relieved him of his vision, if only for a second. He could feel one claw begin to tear from his finger, then another, and then another, but damned if he was going to lose her again!

After what seemed like an eternity, the hanyou finally made it to her and reached through the barrier. He hadn't a clue of why it allowed him to pass now, but he wasn't going to lose this chance. Once inside, all noise became obsolete, and though the colors swirled around them, they did not touch either one. Inu Yasha briefly swept his claw across Kagome's cheek, and the light instantly vanished, leaving them both within the darkness.

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They were awakened from their slumber by a soft buzzing sound. Groggily, the hanyou opened his eyes and took a slight look around. The bag, the light, everything was as it had been. Had it just been a dream? Kagome stirred slightly in her slumber and rolled over, curling herself against his stomach. He smiled softly and wrapped his arms around her, drawing her closer to him. As Kagome snuggled, she could feel where he had opened the hole in his chest... but hadn't that been healed?

Without warning, she could no longer feel her hand. She tried to jump back to look and find out what was wrong, but she couldn't move away; her hand was buried deep within the gaping, bleeding hole that now seemed to have grown teeth and a tongue. Screaming, she pushed against his chest with all of her strength, forcing every bone in her body to its breaking point, but it was no use, and the hole was slowly swallowing her alive.

Kagome's sight darted towards Inu Yasha's emotionless face, his blank eyes, the slight drool unconsciously seeping from his lips. She shivered ferociously at the sight before she threw a glance to the clawed hand that was slowly coming up, and had grabbed onto her upper arm. She screamed again as the claws tore into her flesh, ripping it out of the endless void and revealing what had trapped her hand inside; she was holding onto his beating, dying heart.

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The scream was heard even downstairs, and Inu Yasha was on it, racing through the hall and into Kagome's room at top speed. She was still in bed, where he had put her after he had woken up, but her face was plastered with sweat and her eyes were wide, staring at the wall like a deer trapped in headlights.

"Kagome?" He slowly crept towards her, subtly sliding a hand onto her shoulder, and thus waking her from her daze. Seeing him standing there, she quickly threw a glance at her hands and, seeing nothing, threw her arms around her demon love in a desperate plea for comfort. He responded quickly, wrapping his arms around her and cradling her trembling form. She sobbed and gripped his shirt tightly before she noticed the others standing in her doorway.

Mrs. Higurashi walked over and stroked an absent tear from her daughter's distraught face. Inu Yasha let the girl fling herself into her mother's arms for a moment, before she returned to his own. After a while, she had agreed to come downstairs and join the others for lunch in about half an hour, but for now, she much preferred the seclusion of her room. Of course, she didn't want to be completely alone...

"So... that was there all along?" She sniffled slightly as she looked up at him.

"Hmmm," Inu Yasha seemed to have been dragged out of his thoughts, "which, the shard or the bag?"

"The bag."

"Yep," he leaned back against her wall, "ever since your family inherited the shrine."

"Why didn't I know?" Kagome relaxed into him as she felt warm arms embrace her once more.

He shrugged, "I asked them not to tell you, and you were too afraid to go up searching in there."

She pulled away and positioned herself in front of him, sitting on her knees with one knee between his. Staring him straight in the eyes, she asked, "What?! But how? I didn't even know it was there."

He laughed again, "Kagome, I've watched you your entire life. It's my fault that you're afraid to go up there." He received an almost hurt look from that one, and decided that it would be best to continue; " You caught me reminiscing once when you were really little. You though I was a burglar and got scared. Never went up again. I felt bad, but of course, it was convenient."

"Oh..." 

What, no fight, no screaming, no 'how could you only think of yourself's or 'why didn't you tell me's? Why does she look so sad? Well, why wouldn't she? Still... 

Kagome's gaze had dropped down to the corner of the bed as one finger thoughtfully made its way to her soft lips. Unconsciously noting the lack of moisture there, she licked her finger slightly and began to run it across the soft rose petal that was her bottom lip. Inu Yasha just watched her; she seemed so deep in thought. 

I wonder what she's thinking...

Her finger ran back and forth, earning itself another small lick as the saliva wore out. The hanyou could feel his heart pump, beating like a tribal drum inside his chest. As he watched her, his breaths became noticeably shorter and his mouth so moist that he had to swallow every few seconds, soaking the lump that was already forming in his throat. Despite the moisture in his mouth, his tongue became increasingly drier and he shivered slightly, noting how, after a few moments, she began tracing small circles on the tender flesh.

A hand quickly shot out and wrapped itself around her wrist. Kagome hadn't even realized what happened when she felt her hand forced gently away from her mouth, licking her lips at the sudden deprivation of pressure there. Her attention turned to Inu Yasha, his lips slightly parted, eyes half closed, and wearing an expression she'd never seen outside of her mother's soaps.

"Please," he half-growled, half-cooed softly, "don't do that."

Kagome look at him curiously, already feeling the constriction in her chest and the heat rising to her cheeks, "Why?"

Eyes closing, Inu Yasha leaned down, his hair sliding over his shoulders, producing a silken curtain to protect them from the view of the world. His golden eyes burned with barely contained lust and his slick tongue darted out swiftly, taping her lips and pulling back as quickly as it had come. 

"Because it's too hard to resist." Inu Yasha licked his lips softly, reveling in the thought of kissing her as he did so many weeks past. He groaned so softly that he barely heard it himself, and moved closer, past her face to hook the end of his nose and nuzzle behind her ear. She immediately became limp in his arms and he pulled her against him. Her arms wrapped around his neck as she weaved her hands in and out of his hair, finding her way to the back and lowering her head there, eyes closed tenderly and lips parted. Kagome whipped her head to the side, shaking her own hair from her face, and giggled softly as he began to purr. Kissing the back of his neck, the girl removed one hand to stroke the side of his face before he pulled away and looked deeply into her eyes.

He was teasing every one of her senses, and he knew it.

Inu Yasha's hands wandered to the small of her back, drawing her to him as she snuggled as closely as she could get. Her body squirmed to get closer, but they both doubted that it is physically possible. He was still sitting on her bed, leaning against the wall, but now had her straddling his lap, teasing him in ways she was completely oblivious to. He made a quick grab for the back of her head and she dodged, smirking at him with taunting eyes as he tried again. After two more attempts, a low growl began to escape from Inu Yasha's throat; grin widening, he bared his teeth slightly and dove for her throat, desperately trying to keep himself from biting her. Gods she was so wonderful. He had almost given himself completely over to his passion, but he couldn't do that, not yet. Gods he needed her, but was she ready?

Kagome moaned and arched her back, thrusting the rest of herself into him. He moaned through the hold and slowly began teasing her with his fangs. Inu Yasha's hands slowly slid up and down her sides, tantalizing claws running across her arms and under her shirt, massaging and tickling her ribs. Kagome giggled and wiggled around in his lap, and he bit his lip to try and keep some self-control. How did she always seem to do this to him? 

Her scent invaded his senses as the smell of lust hung heavily in the air, almost choking him with its intensity. Kagome ran her hands across his chest and beneath his shirt, nuzzling her face against the heated flesh beneath, and kissing softly. Inu Yasha leaned her back gently and nestled his face into her stomach, sigh turning into a sudden gasp as Kagome lifted his face slightly, guiding him just a bit above where his lips now lay. His hands shook, body aching for hers, and licked her upper tummy gently. She sighed his name and tugged him higher with one hand, while the other dug into his hair and surfaces to claim his ear. He readjusted his hold on her, pulling her further onto his lap as waves of need flowed freely through him. If this didn't stop soon, it wouldn't stop at all. What did he think he was doing anyway?

Kagome moaned, "Inu Yasha..."

Oh right, that. She tugged softly on the locks of hair hanging over the sides of his face, and he bit her side softly, nipping at the tender, supple flesh as he slowly began to move higher. Inu Yasha bit his lip again as another wave washed over him. His breathing became more labored, and she began massaging his ear a little more forcefully, sending another shiver of spine-tingling delight to shake his already weakened body. Inu Yasha whipped his head around, dislodging the fingers from above his head, and held her hands together, forcing her not to use them. He let go of his grip on his lip in exchange for hers, and kissed her hungrily, thrusting his tongue inside her mouth. He released her hands as the need to moan became too great, and he gripped the sheets with the force it was taking him to hold back. This wasn't good; didn't she have any idea what she was doing to him?! Unfortunately, or fortunately, she knew exactly what she was doing to him, and had no intention of stopping now. One of her hands trailed inconspicuously down his outer thigh while the other tugged on his shirt to keep his focus away from the sneaking hand. The hand quickly ventured up his inner thigh as he desperately ripped off his shirt and threw it to the ground, his other hand about to claw off hers as well. Almost there...

*knock knock* Kagome, Inu Yasha, I expect to see you at the table in two minutes. Lunch's ready."

... crap.

The hanyou's hands tightened into fists and he let out a frustrated growl, throwing his arms around her waist and burying his face into her neck, taking deep breaths to calm himself. He nibbled on her and she held him tightly as they rocked together, slowly, and reluctantly, attempting to lessen the tension between them. Her hands stroked through his mane tenderly, lovingly caressing him and helping them both to relax a bit. Of course, Inu Yasha was kind of glad for the distraction... this time, but still, his body wouldn't let him live to regret it at this rate. He couldn't hold out for much longer, and this was only the second day with her, if that. Oh man, he was in trouble.

A few moments passed with the two still on the bed before they grudgingly rose from each other's embrace and practically trudged down the stairs. This had better be a damned good lunch.


	26. Who Says Diamonds are a Girl’s Best Frie...

AAHH!!! I forgot to bring my spiffy word list to school with me. Aww well, I guess you can have the unspifified version for now.^_^; Sorry guys! lol Oh, and towards the end, chocolate pools, yummy.^-^

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Ame Tenshi- Yeah, I realized that I wanted to write a little more Sango/Miroku fluff that I didn't get to, but maybe I'll make it a dream or a flashback or something.^_^ About the Shikon no Tama, I have a better solution *grins evily*, a more romantic one at least.^_~ And as far as Kirara and Shippou go, I know it seems strange to us that I haven't mentioned them yet, but she's too distraught to think of it, thankfully for this author! No, but that'll be addressed in this chapter. Have you wondered about Kouga and Sesshoumaru yet?^_~* Or who knows, maybe Inu Yasha lived because of the shard and everyone was killed off. Find out in the next episode... um... I guess partially this episode of_ MEMORIES OF THE PRESEEENNTTT_!!! Muahahaha!

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Merith- I looove yooouuu!!!!! *giggles and hugs tightly*

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Disclaimer: I don't own Inuyasha or any of the characters in it. If I did I'd be rich, but I'm not... and if I had lots of money I'd probably spend it on anime anyway so pleeaasseee, don't sue me.^_^ lol

Oh, and as always,

_= thoughts *_* = sound/ italicized "_" = speech

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Memories of the Present

Chapter 26: Who Says Diamonds are a Girl's Best Friend?

"Come on, what're you waiting for? We've got a kitsune to see!" Kagome ran out the front door and down the familiar wooden steps onto the shrine grounds. That afternoon had been full of surprises, each one seemingly better than the last. Kagome had found out that Inu Yasha wasn't the only demon, or half demon, to survive the past, but that Shippou, Sesshoumaru, and Kirara were all alive as well. Even better, they were all close by and were definitely in range for a visit! After an awkward explanation of why no one came to visit sooner... again, excitement began to spread like a wild fire and Souta realized that he'd finally get to play with the kit Kagome was always talking about. Every heart was lifted a bit when they saw how excited the miko had become, and they knew that their day was only going to get better. It was natural to think that Kagome would take the whole situation pretty hard, and this was only one step to getting everything back to normal... or at least as normal as they could be anyway.

After convincing Souta that they'd bring Shippou back, Kagome scarfed the oden her mom had made for her (she knew it was her daughter's favorite), and raced out the door, almost daring the hanyou to try and catch up with her. Polishing off the rest of the food, plus a couple bowls of ramen for good measure, Inu Yasha began his pursuit of the overly excited girl and raced down the steps himself, hot on her trail. He knew that he didn't need to catch her, because she'd have to come back eventually, she had no idea where Shippou was after all, but he decided to track her down before she hurt herself. Besides, a game of cat and mouse usually proved to be fun, especially when playing with a stubborn, energetic girl.

With high hopes, the two rejoined about thirty seconds later, unfortunately not long enough for the game, and began their journey from the shrine steps into the real world, which, as Kagome soon realized, was a lot more complicated than she had ever known.

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"So where are we going?"

"Keh, just wait and see."

"Come on, tell me!"

Inu Yasha sighed and shook his head with a soft chuckle; "I'll tell you if you guess."

"Oka...heeyy... wait a minute!"

"Sorry, you've already agreed so wait or start guessing!" A wide grin spread over Inu Yasha's face and Kagome pouted, obviously beyond annoyed that he wasn't going to tell her. 

The hanyou had decided to walk, or should I say bound, to the shrine the morning before, instead of driving, a decision that would prove most irritating soon enough. After half an hour of guesses, he had begun to wish she hadn't agreed to his little arrangement; this was more annoying than just telling her!

Five minutes later, Kagome had become bored of irritating the inu-hanyou; instead, she watched the people around her going about their daily lives. To their right was a woman with short brown hair and glasses, probably in her mid thirties, pushing a stroller with two babies in it. A little girl walked by her side and helped her mother balance the groceries and baby supplies that the stroller couldn't hold. The girl had the same hair as her mother did, but she had bright green eyes and looked extremely rambunctious, though was apparently well behaved when she had to be. Kagome had often wondered how many children she'd have; she liked to dream about one day when she'd settle down and live, well, sometimes it was here, and sometimes it was in the Sengoku Jedai, but it didn't matter really. All she wanted was a good husband and kids, but how many kids? Kagome's eyes wandered back to their side of the street, watching Inu Yasha as he walked beside her. She watched the way his hair blew behind him as they walked, and had to admit how much he did suit clothes from her time, as well as his. 

This *is* his time Kagome. With a soft sigh, she held her head high (sorry for the rhyme), and refused to let her good mood go to waste. She was going to see Shippou! Okay, what had she been thinking about? Kids, right, okay, how many did she want? Well, of course, by then Shippou wouldn't be a kid anymore, if he still was, but he would always be little to her. Besides the kit, well, to be honest, she didn't really know,especially considering how many puppies are in a li... wait! No, no, stray from that thought! Crap, he's looking! Quickly, the girl's eyes jumped across the street and passed over the crowd, looking for something else to focus on. 

Ignoring the smirk she could feel radiating off of the hanyou next to her, Kagome scanned the people until she came back to the woman and her daughter; there didn't seem to be many interesting people around today. Behind the family was a man in a business suit. She guessed that they were probably coming up to the main business section of the city, and by the number of suits here, yeah, she was probably right. Kagome watched as the man stopped, pulled a pager out of his briefcase, and a cell phone out of his pocket. He easily avoided the passing people while talking, even though he had his back to them, and her, and did it with such grace that he must've been dodging rushing people for years, a statement that was only confirmed by his white hair. 

Many years.

Before she could look further, a soft grunt sent her falling backwards, her rear missing cold, harsh pavement by only a hand's width as Inu Yasha caught her. Kami it was good to have demon around. As he set her upright, a low growl was brought to her attention and, as she looked up, she nearly fainted, but instead, just took a step back. 

"Sooo… Inu Yasha, is this the little vixen you've been talking about?" A man that looked frighteningly similar to an older Hojo stood before them. Unlike Hojo, his bright blue eyes shone with coldness, a stern cruelty that you may have expected from Naraku or Sesshoumaru, but still held a smile, though a grim one. The man's chestnut hair was cut short, very short, and he sported a dark blue suit with white, vertical stripes. Though he stared daggers at Inu Yasha, when his gaze fell upon the young girl, it seemed brimmed with curiosity and power, a look not unnoticed by the hanyou, who immediately growled and pushed her behind him protectively.

"Shut up and leave her the hell alone." 

The man just smirked, face darkening slightly, and was about to say something when the real terror stepped out from behind him; "Higurashi?"

Crud, "Um... hi Hojo." Yep, it was now officially confirmed, Hojo's father was WAY creepier than his obsessive son. Much to her surprise, however, Inu Yasha didn't look the least bit fazed. She had expected him to yell at Hojo, beat him up, growl at him, something, but he didn't; instead he just... smirked?!

A small memory resurfaced in her mind; '_Instead, I watched you sleep and attempt to ignore that annoying Hojo guy.'_ Hmm... 'ignore that annoying Hojo guy', maybe this wouldn't be as embarrassing as she thought; maybe he understood that she wasn't interested?

"My, protective aren't we?" Inu Yasha's face immediately darkened as his attention was turned back to the man in front of them. 

He stiffened, wrapped his arm around Kagome's waist, and began walking off, "Get over yourself." The hanyou turned smug began to walk off, dragging the miko behind him, but was soon halted again when the one we will now dub 'annoyance' pulled Kagome from his grasp.

"Hey, get your hands off of Higurashi. I remember you; you were incredibly rude when we talked a few weeks ago. I will not allow such a sweet girl to be in your company."

"You know this girl Hojo?"

"Yes Father; she goes to my school."

"Oh, well then," 'annoyance''s father, 'creepy', turned to Inu Yasha, smirking as always, his eyes lit with an odd sort of newly formed amusement, "taking girls from kids eh Inu Yasha? Aren't you a bit _old_ for her?" His grin grew as the hanyou seethed before him. Damn, this guy pissed him off! First he tried to take his position, then was just a total ass in general, and now this?! Why couldn't this guy get a clue before Inu Yasha ripped him to shreds?!

Subduing the urge to kill them both, Inu Yasha forcefully pulled the miko from 'annoyance''s hands, and gently put his arm back around her waist. Then he turned to 'creepy', snorted, and the two walked off with a haughty, "I'll see you at work asshole," lovingly flowing from the hanyou to follow behind them.

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"Oh, here too! Oh, and this one, isn't it cute?!" He just *HAD* to tell her that she could go shopping didn't he? 

A defeated hanyou sighed and hung his head, This is going to be a looong day.

After leaving 'annoyance' and 'creepy', he and Kagome had gone to Shippou's work to visit him. The kit, though no longer a kit really, worked at an art store not far from the shrine. Over the years he had accumulated several jobs, but since he still looked like a kid, or teen really, very few would hire him. Of course, the companies run by demons understood, but few of them had art stores and, after those crayons all those centuries ago, Shippou had found a new love of art that he still carried with him today. He chose to work at art stores, not because he needed the money, but because he could get discounts on the supplies there, and he needed *something* to do while Inu Yasha was gone during the day. In the massive amount of time he had to practice over the years, he learned and mastered many art styles, and sold his artwork under a fake name, changing it every fifty years or so for reality's sake. Being flexible, he got lots of business and a lot of money at the same time, and chose to spend most of it on his growing anime collection and video games. Yeah, Souta would love him.

Unfortunately, he was nowhere to be found. It seems that Shippou had not gone into work that day, and no one knew where he was, leaving a saddened girl and a worried hanyou. He had to think and think fast; he had to think of something they could do. He didn't want to see her discouraged again, but what? What do girls like to do? Of course, they go shopping! That's one thing that hadn't really changed much since before he was born!

He just *HAD* to say shopping didn't he?

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"Ohhh, let's go in here!" 

"Um Kagome... I don't think I can carry anymore." (heh, a hanyou that can't carry anymore? I'm afraid.)

"What?" Inu Yasha stood behind her, bags in his arms...hands, legs, head, hell, he even had a little bag hanging from his cute fuzzy ear! Kagome giggled shyly, feeling slightly guilty about all of the money she was spending. "Um... sorry. I guess I got a little... carried away?"

The hanyou just let out a half-hearted "keh", and turned towards the exit, half to hide the slight smirk that seemed to making a happy new home on his face, and half to see if she'd get the hint and let them leave. Now, he was glad that she was feeling better, and he certainly did want to get her mind off of things for a while, but without a car to take them home, this was a bit much to carry. 

Needless to say, the store was rather depressed when their best customer decided to leave, but with a promise to return, spirits were once again lifted and the day went on, not to mention the long trek back to a certain dog demon's apartment to check on Shippou. They had planned to take a taxi back after all, but on the way out, Kagome spotted another shop and bolted for it, running down the sidewalk to stand in front a small stand as she admired the beautiful merchandise.

Flowers, what is more beautiful than a girl with flowers? (or a bishie with flowers for us.^_~ *squeals*) Kagome hadn't even noticed Inu Yasha's disappearance until she turned to ask for some roses, stopping in mid-sentence as the bags lay piled next to her feet.

Where did he go? She paused for a moment, fear that it had all been a dream taking control over her mind, but she quickly shook her head and tossed the thoughts away; it's not like she could've paid for all of those clothes. She watched the people walk around and, deciding that he couldn't be found, was about to check the restaurants and food stands, when something decided to slip itself over her shoulder and into one of the bags she had picked up. It was the most beautiful arrangement of roses she had ever seen. 

There were white roses, red roses, yellow roses, and pink ones, even some that were slightly mixed in color. Among them lay sheets of little white flowers, not unlike little balls on sticks, and she chided herself slightly for not knowing its name. Was it Babies' Breath? Anyway, those little flowers went with almost everything! A minute pressure on her shoulder alerted her to the perpetrator, and she giggled softly, scenting the beautiful bouquet, as strand of white fell across her chest and into her arms. A single hand reached up and scratched at an ear before she jumped back in shock. Ear? Oh no, they had forgotten to cover his ears!

She turned around quickly, and frantically began searching for a shop that may have had a hat or bandana, or something, anything. Kagome looked to Inu Yasha, face full of worry, then anger as he just sat there and smirked, "Kagome, don't worry. People are used to it. They just think it's some anime craze or that I'm eccentric or something." He shrugged and nonchalantly draped an arm over her shoulder to pick up the bags, "It's no big deal."

Well, saying that she felt foolish was an understatement, and to make it worse, in her rush to find the slight protection, she had dropped the flowers he had given her only moments before.

"Kagome, you idiot...," she mumbled softly, staring at the lump of color being squished into the sidewalk with each passing person. She reached to the flowers as if she was reaching for her heart, trying to pick it up before more could step on it, before the pieces became so brittle that they just faded away into nothingness. He had given her those. She knew that she shouldn't feel that bad; they were only flowers, but HE had given them to her, and she couldn't even hold onto them for three minutes without ruining them. She ruined everything didn't she?

Inu Yasha never took his eyes off of the girl as she lowered her already slumping shoulders and cradled the crumpled bundle in her arms. Why was she sad? The flowers weren't that important; did she not like them to begin with? He watched as her eyes began to swell with tears and she fiercely tried to blink them back, and she turned to look straight at him. Kagome's eyes were wide with worry and horror, tears began to leak down before the hanyou could do anything to stop them, and he saw her lip begin to tremble. She bit it softly to try and hide the fact, but it was no use. Before she could begin sniffling, he had wrapped his arms around her and embraced her once more, holding her and whispering soothing things into her ear. He ran his fingers through her dark mane, still awed at how soft it was to the touch. The hanyou buried his head against it gently and nuzzled the side of her face, receiving a soft gasp as Kagome stopped sniffling and stiffened before snuggling a little closer in his arms. He stopped her, pushing her back slightly, and looked deep within the chocolate pools that were her eyes. 

Wiping a few stray tears, he held her face towards him with a claw and gently asked, "What's wrong?"

The tenderness in his voice started the tears all over again and she sobbed, throwing herself back into his arms until she could gain enough composure to talk once more. After a small hiccup, one he though was cute I might add, she sniffled and laughed coarsely, "Sorry 'bout the shirt."

Inu Yasha looked at his tear-soaked chest and shrugged. Turning to her, he asked again, "Kagome, what's wrong? Why are you crying?"

With another sniffle, she lay her head back upon his chest and sighed. "It's silly; I know I shouldn't be this upset but... the flowers are ruined." Kagome buried her head more deeply into him and he just stared in shock.

"That's it?"

"What?" She raised her head, confusion apparent across her features, "Wh... what do you mean 'that's it'?"

"Well..." Was it her imagination, or did he look a little nervous? "Would you like me to buy you more?"

The girl's eyes widened and a smile of pure joy grew where the frown once was, "Ohh..." Tears began to flow again and she wrapped her arms around him.

"Kagome, what's wrong? What did I do?" 

She just laughed softly and nuzzled his neck; "No, it's not that." She pulled out of his arms and turned to him with a smile so bright that he was sure it could rival the sun. She then grabbed the flowers, gently cacooning them in the clothes they had just purchased, and wrapped his hand around her own. She smiled at him again and kissed his softly on the cheek, then turned to skip off, leaving a rather tongue-tied, shell-shocked tomato behind. Of course, whenever she decided to skip off in a daze, it never really seemed to last too long. She really should've watched where she was going.

"Ooof, sorry about that I... SESHOUMARU?!"

Uh oh.


	27. Dinner and the Parlor

Is it just me, or has no one else been able to log onto Fanfiction.net for a while?  


Okay, I know Kagome is being a bit more weak and therefore somewhat OOC lately, but given her situation, I think it would be only natural for her to get easily saddened and more emotional with everyday things as well as the situation at hand, even if she doesn't know why. Oh, and I don't know if Kagome was around to see when Naraku tried to absorb Sesshoumaru in the anime, so if she wasn't, we'll just pretend Inu Yasha told her about it okay?^_^ 

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Disclaimer: I don't own Inuyasha or any of the characters in it. If I did I'd be rich, but I'm not... and if I had lots of money I'd probably spend it on anime anyway so pleeaasseee, don't sue me.^_^ lol

Oh, and as always,

_= thoughts *_* = sound/ italicized "_" = speech

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Memories of the Present

Chapter 27: Dinner and the Parlor

Well, that was awkward.

After the little, shall we say, run-in, with the youkai, Kagome found herself in another set of arms before she could meet sweet pavement again. Having stumbled over her own feet, the embarrassment had still been overcome as she was shocked to find that this time, it was Sesshoumaru holding her, and Inu Yasha didn't look like he was any where close to protesting. 

"Hello brother." Sesshoumaru gently set Kagome on her feet before looking her over quickly. At a glance, she did seem to be the wench that his half-brother had once kept, but how was that possible? Maybe his story was the truth after all; she certainly had the same scent, and even a reincarnation would have slight differences. Well, now was not the time to be thinking such things. Besides, she would notice him watching her soon enough.

Seeing the bags piled in his brother's arms, he eyed the hanyou and drawled, "I see little has changed."

Inu Yasha smirked, and drew Kagome back to him, "You're just jealous."

"Indeed." With an eyebrow raise and a smirk of his own, the amused demon lord pulled out his cell phone, dialing a number faster than either human or hanyou could see.

I guess demon reflexes come in handy when taking millions of calls a day, Kagome mused. She watched the tall gentleman in front of her. Really, the looks MUST run in the family. He turned before her, "gracing" her with the presence of his back. Yeah, so chivalrous. Kagome rolled her eyes, catching a glimpse of something shining in the sunlight. Taking the time, she finally noticed how expensive his clothes seemed, though he was always one for the dramatic. He wore a business suit, as did almost everyone else here, but his was a little... shall we say, different? While the passer-byers wore suits of brown or blue, maybe striped, some plain, Sesshoumaru seemed to have developed a style of his own. He stood among the "common people", as he would once have put it, in a starched, white tuxedo, spotless in every way, with a pair of blood red cufflinks, and a yellow and blue undershirt barely peeking out of the top of the suit. Though it did seem a little strange, and she had to admit, the flare was rather stylish. 

Wait, what am I thinking?! This is Sesshoumaru, the great youkai lord of the Western Lands! But, this can't be the same; he would've sooner killed me than caught me! Maybe time did him some good? Well, it's not like the Tetsussaiga is here for him to fight over; wait, where is it? I'll ask later. Inu Yasha wouldn't have gotten rid of it so easily. You know, he doesn't seem very frightened of Sesshoumaru, but then again, like he'd ever let anyone see it if he were. Pfft, yeah right. Sesshoumaru may not be attacking us, but still, no reason to take chances.

With that thought in mind, Kagome stealthily inched her way towards Inu Yasha, stopping slightly ajar his left side, and prepared to hold her ground. She doubted that the youkai would try anything there, with all of those people around. Sure, in his time maybe, but in this time, there was obviously a reason that the youkai were all in hiding, perhaps from fear? Just because she didn't know the reason, that didn't mean that it didn't exist, and she was sure as hell going to take advantage of it if need be.

Sensing her tension, Inu Yasha slipped an arm around her shoulders, and gave a slight squeeze. He almost laughed when she jumped in his arms, obviously not expecting a display of affection, if she even remembered that he was there at all. Kagome seemed pretty worked up about whatever she was worried about. Wait, she was... afraid? Why would she be... Shaking his head, the hanyou gave himself a mental slap as realization kicked in, Of COURSE! The only times she'd seen him, he had been trying to kill us! No wonder she's freaked!

Constricting his hold tenderly, he looked down towards the girl and smiled slightly; "Oi, Kagome, relax. We're not in any danger."

"What?"

"You, woman," Sesshoumaru closed his phone and slipped it back into his pocket, "I demand to know why you were staring at me earlier." Eyes wide in confusion, the girl looked left, then right, before looking at the inu-youkai and pointing at herself questioningly. The demon lord just sighed and nodded, "You were watching me before you ran into that cretinous human." Realization finally sunk in as the sweat drop that had, until then, been growing steadily, dropped down out of sight.

"Oh, I didn't know that was you. You *did* have your back to me after all," she said, if a little smartly. 

Noting the slight change in her tone, the inu-youkai glared at her curiously. Still as indignant as ever.

Kagome reeled back, Ahh! Why is he glaring at me like that?

Gha! Why is Kagome looking at me like that? Inu Yasha swallowed, though a bit audibly, He's just comparing her what he remembers. It's like she's never been looked at before! Oh wait, Sesshoumaru, right. Well, maybe I'd better get us out of here and give her a chance to calm herself. Opening his mouth, the hanyou groaned, This'll be an interesting conversation with Rin. 

"We'll be on our way now. Make sure to say hi to..." Inu Yasha scowled; he did not like to be cut off.

"There will be no need for that brother, as you are coming with me."

Both Inu Yasha and Kagome stiffened, WHAT?!

"You are humbly invited to dinner at my estate. Rin would care to see your... Kagome." The hanyou let out a quick sigh of relief, not unnoticed by the demon lord, while Kagome just stood there and stuttered.

"R... Rin?" Kagome blinked. She was skeptical that a hanyou could live this long, but a HUMAN? It... it wasn't possible! There is no way! Maybe he found her reincarnation? That had to be it, but then, how would she know Kagome? Maybe she tapped into her incarnate's memories? Kagome was so lost in thought that she had failed to notice a long, midnight-black limousine pull up next to them. A small green toad-like thing hopped out of the driver's side, one you would recognize anywhere as Sesshoumaru's servant, but to anyone other than the four, he would seem only as your everyday guy in a chauffeur's outfit. They did not need to draw attention to themselves in common place areas, and the limo itself commanded some recognition, already drawing eyes from the passing people. Before the miko could think, she was swept into the car following a slightly nervous hanyou, and his callous half-brother.

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"It's kind of funny now that you mention it," Rin began. She and Kagome were lounging in giant red, cushy chairs. The chairs were they largest pieces of furniture in the entire room, minus the small couch that sat to their left. The couch was a three-seater, though barely larger than one red chair, and faced the wall while the chairs each faced towards the couch. Between the misshapen triangle of furniture lie an overly polished ivory table, hand carved with an incredibly intricate pattern of roses and vines along the edges. The legs of said table were the finest dragon statues Kagome had ever seen, which were, as Rin had previously informed her, once cats, but had been altered at Sesshoumaru's demand. No self-respecting dog demon would have a cat in his house after all. Well, none other than Rin's cat; Fluffy never could tell the girl no. 

Around room hung delicate paintings, most of them from, or based on the Sengoku Jedai, for obvious reasons. A small space had been cleared of such paintings, however, as the demon lord had a whim to set his swords in an "x" on the first part of wall you saw from the doorway. He had probably intended it as a threatening gesture, but it only made Kagome want to go and examine them further. They sat in the parlor, as the family called it, while dinner was being prepared, indulging in light conversation, and answering any questions that Kagome may have had. 

"After a few hundred years, it was once again time to fight for their father's honor. I can't recall which demon it was this time, but I'm sure Inu Yasha could tell you. That was the first fight that both brothers had been present in, though Inu was reluctant at first. (awww, she called him Inu.^-^) The other fights had happened when he was either too young to battle, or sealed. Really, Inu Yasha cared little for fighting for territory, but when he realized that there was no land to be gained, and that it was purely for honor, he thought he might as well help. Or, as he put it, 'Keh, can't let him have all of the fun.'." Both girls laughed at this for a moment before turning back to their conversation. "Anyway, after that, things just seemed to go uphill. Of course, they have more than enough fun torturing each other, but it's all for fun now."

Kagome's smile slackened. There was one question that she had been meaning to ask all night, but she just couldn't figure out how. 

Rin, however, easily noticed the change in the surrounding air, and figured that there could only be one reason. "You want to know why I'm still alive?"

"What?! H... how did you..."

"Well, you looked like you were trying to find a way around asking something, so I figured it'd be an uncomfortable subject. Though I have no problem with it, the way you had stared at me when you first arrived reminded me that you probably thought it was sensitive." She shrugged. "So you want to know?"

"Um... yes... if that's okay with you."

Rin smiled brightly; "It's no problem Kagome."

"During the fight with Naraku, Sessy... ," Kagome had a feeling that she'd NEVER stop smirking when she heard that, "... told me to stay hidden in the bushes off to the side of the battleground. Of course, being the mischievous thing I am, I couldn't just sit back and watch him fight, so I went to fight with him."

"But you were just a child!"

Rin laughed, "And when you were a child you didn't think you could accomplish anything if you tried hard enough?" Kagome giggled and nodded for her to continue. "Anyway, I went to help him and kind of got in the way."

"Of course."

The older girl glared at Kagome; "If you don't stop interrupting I'm not going to tell you."

The miko smiled apologetically, "Okay, sorry, sorry. Please, continue."

"Humph. Yeah, so, when Naraku sent his tentacles out to attack Sessy (Kagome snickers), he cut them to shreds and jumped before the pieces could encase him; Naraku had tried that trick before."

"I remember."

Rin nods. "Unfortunately, in trying to help him, I had to be by his side, and, as I had no where near the speed he did, obviously, I got trapped instead. Where as it would take Naraku quite a while to absorb Sesshoumaru, I was only a child and was taken almost immediately." Kagome gasped. "Mhmm. Sessy...,"

You know, 'Sessy' sounds like 'sissy'.. Kagome suppressed another snicker at the cute nickname.

"... tried to cut me out of Naraku as soon as he had realized what had happened, but in doing so, he had to take some of Naraku's parts to sustain me. I was too infused to survive on what was left of my own body, but I guess that was just a blessing in disguise. Because of the fact that I was then, well, basically a hanyou, I had a much longer life span. As you can see," she gestured to herself, " even a hanyou gets older and I did a little growing up. Eventually I lived to realize my feelings for him and he for me. So, if that had never happened, I could never have been mated with Sesshoumaru."

Though she cringed slightly at the thought of Sesshoumaru "mating" (though a lot of people wouldn't.^_~), she had to admit that the story was one of the most romantic and sweet that she had ever heard, causing a soft, almost swooning sigh to escape from her lips. 

Rin giggled happily, "I know."

"I still can't believe I have to thank that irredeemable half-breed." The two girls turned to see none other than the demon lord in the doorway. Rin smiled and stood up; walking over to him, she took the arm that he offered her, and the two proceeded to exit the room.

"Sorry Kagome! We still have some time before dinner; I'll send Inu Yasha down. Oh, and we'd love it if you stayed the night! There's a phone in the hall; call your mom and ask, okay?" And with that, the two were gone.

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"What's bothering you Kagome?" 

"Hm?" Kagome looked up from her plate as if in a daze. The haziness that had once clouded her eyes was now gone, leaving instead her usual, bright, cheery smile. "Nothing, sorry."

The group had been seated in Sesshoumaru's dining room for about an hour now, eating occasionally when a new course was served. In between courses, the pairs did not talk much to each other, but preferred talking amongst themselves rather than shout across the football field length table. Of course, for Kagome this arrangement was more than a little uncomfortable, and the silence easily aroused suspicion towards the other's mood. Unfortunately, it didn't help that the miko was deep in thought and didn't exactly want to be disturbed. 

Another silver platter was brought to each and the servant left the two at his master's beckoning.

"Tell me."

Her smile faltered, "I told you; it's nothing."

"But you just said 'it's', meaning that there is something."

"Ugh, Inu Yasha, there's nothing! Stop being so paranoid!" The sound echoed all the way down the lengthy table and Rin looked up from her food. "Rin, it's nothing, really."

"See, you said 'it' again!"

"ARG, Inu Yasha, cut it out!"

"Kagome..."

"SIT!" Kagome paused, then sat back down, hung her head, and sighed, "... oh, right, no rosary."

Sesshoumaru rubbed his temples. He was tired of hearing them yell, and was beginning to develop quite a headache. He sighed with his air of superiority still intact, that is, until, "Women." All eyes turned on the youkai as his hand immediately covered his mouth; unfortunately, it was far too late, as the girls had already heard, and both rose from the table, tossing their napkins aside as they did so.

"Oh really Sesshoumaru?" Rin glared daggers at the youkai.

Uh oh, where's the nickname? Sesshoumaru inwardly flinched under her gaze, but refused to show weakness in front of his brother.

"And what do you have to say to that Inu Yasha?" Silence said it all.

"Well then, Kagome, would like to join me for a bath? I think the *boys* would like to spend their evening in the parlor tonight."

"I do believe they would Rin. Maybe they'll get lucky and we'll toss them a few blankets... in the morning." With that, the girls walked out, locking eyes with their respective others only long enough to get their message across.

Once they were gone, Inu Yasha slumped down in his chair, ears drooping only briefly; "Well, that was sudden."

"Not getting along with your mate brother? Was it not as you expected it would be?"

The hanyou laughed, "Actually, she's exactly as I expected she would be... and she's not my mate!"

Sesshoumaru rubbed his temples again, "Keep your voice down." He let out an exasperated groan, "Look, you've waited for her for what, five hundred years, and you still can't admit that you want her? If so, you are completely and utterly hopeless."

"You don't know what you're talking about!" Inu Yasha barked, snarling at the demon that was now sitting across from him.

"But don't I? Look at you; I've never seen such a sickening, idiotic grin on your face as when you're around her. I am well aware of the fact that you have at least admitted this much to yourself, but when will you tell her? From what I've seen, she has a few admirers, and could easily get more. You must claim her while you can brother."

"Look!" he snarled, "I don't need your advice or your lectures! Keh," the hanyou stood, facing the door, "I'm out of here." With that, he stormed off down the hall, and straight towards his room... which had been positioned strategically just past Kagome's.

Sesshoumaru grinned, "You are so predictable."


	28. Be Mine

Man, I am SOOOO evil! Muahahahaha!!! Heh.^-^ Yeah, a little citrusy, but the lemon is next chapter. Woohoo! Actually, it's more like lemonade because I'm going to sweeten it.^_~ *giggles* But yeah, sooo sorry for the long update waiting time! I was going to put this in yesterday but we were entertaining guests.~_~ You know how that goes.

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KevinEC- lol Yeah, actually, she does call him Fluffy and Sesshy, but not around other people.^_~ She knows it would upset him.^_^ And Inu, yeah, old habits die hard I guess? He gets better in this chapter and then he's all mature and stuff.^_^ *giggles* yay! And yeah, sorry it took so long to get there, but hey, thanks for the kudos!^_^

angelofdiamonds – Ahh! You're right; I forgot to describe Rin!^_^; lol Thank you! Hmmm... I think I can fit that into this chapter.^_^

Zerianyu- There were a couple words left out? What do you mean? *giggles* And don't be sorry!^_^ I love comments and critiques.^_^ Oh, and the lemon, that'll be next chapter.^_~*

Ame Tenshi – Okay, where to start?^_^ lol Well, first off, I've seen official pics of a grinning Sesshoumaru, a SMILING one even. It was weird, but soooo cute!^_^ Heh, but here, I think he just got a little more... not soft so much as accepting. Note the fact that I said a little.^_~* Shippou will come in with Kirara in a few chapters, maybe three, maybe four, and about Ayame, well, I don't like her much so, like Kikyo, she isn't in this.^_^; Jaken, well, is it really possible to get rid of Jaken?^_~ lol I don't think he would've let them. Besides, what fun would he be to kill him and let him stay dead? If they killed him, they'd have to bring him back to life and keep him around so they could do it again. Heh, that'd be awesome.^_^ But yeah, I don't know what they do in their personal time, and if it has to do with a certain frog-resembling demon, I'm not sure I want to know.^_^; Kagura and Kanna won't be here either, and there is this whole "if you meet yourself the universe will collapse" theory out there so it probably wouldn't have been wise to have the older and younger Inu meet. You never know what effect that could have on the time stream. And lastly, nope, neither Kagome nor Inu Yasha will be changed by the jewel; I like them the way they are.^_^ Um... I think that's everything... right?^_^;

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Disclaimer: I don't own Inuyasha or any of the characters in it. If I did I'd be rich, but I'm not... and if I had lots of money I'd probably spend it on anime anyway so pleeaasseee, don't sue me.^_^ lol

Oh, and as always,

_= thoughts *_* = sound/ italicized "_" = speech

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Memories of the Present

Chapter 28: Be Mine

"Kagome, are you almost ready?"

"Yeah Rin, I'll be there in a minute!"

"Okay, I'll be waiting!"

Inu Yasha scurried over the tile floor, trying to escape the voices without being detected. Stupid Sesshoumaru, giving me the room next to Kagome. Well, actually, I don't mind that, but did he have to make it on *that* side of Kagome's room? He's probably had this planned all along! Either way I have to get past her room to get to mine, and it won't be easy. She's probably still mad and I really don't want to die yet. Hey, wait, she's just a... no, I'm not even thinking that; I know how bad her temper is. Maybe I'll get lucky and she'll leave; then I won't need to sneak to get past her room. Yeah, that'll work! Inu Yasha skidded to a halt right before Kagome's door, and crouched down.

And so he waited... and waited... and, ah crap, what was taking her so long? Drawing ever closer to her door, he peeked in and decided that maybe he could make a run for it. Kagome was sitting on her bed, not seeming to be paying attention to anything really, and he could easily go by unnoticed. It wouldn't be that hard. So... why wasn't he moving?

"Kagome?"

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Such beauty, if only I could've appreciated it; it's not like I had anything better to do. I sighed as I heard Rin call to me and called back. I didn't really feel much like a bath anymore, if I ever did; I just wanted to get away from the table, the questions, ... the memories. 

I sat on my canopy bed and admired the handiwork. It was the kind of bed that you would imagine a princess owning in one of those Disney fairytales, well, the ones that started out as princesses at least. It was easily a king size, the cerulean sheets of the purest silk and soft to the touch. Over the bed hung a white, slightly transparent cloth that bunched at the top of the bedposts, and then hung down, the curtain blocking out any view of the real world, or any eyes from seeing into mine. The fabric was currently tied to the bedposts with another silken tie, white and warm to the eye, but cold to the touch. The bedposts themselves were masterpieces, dragons and villagers, roses and damsels, nature, all depicted on one long column at each corner post. The floor was a hard wood floor, waxed and shining with a rich complexity of grain, but it was mostly covered with a long, beautifully tailored Oriental rug of white, black, blue, and pink. On the walls hung more paintings, and there was a solid oak dresser in the far corner of the room, a mirror resting lazily upon its surface.

I can't believe I'll never see her again...

No wonder I couldn't admire it; no wonder I couldn't go enjoy a nice hot bath after so long in the Sengoku Jedai. There was no Sango. Sure there was Rin, but it wasn't the same. I could feel hot tears roll down my cheeks in silent respect for my best friend. They missed her too; they understood. The only people I had bathed with were Sango and Shippou, and, though I knew that he was alive, I still hadn't been able to see the kit, not like he would've still been so young as bathing with him would be proper anyway. 

My gaze dropped to the smooth, polished floor, and I let out a weighted sigh; it was too hard, even with people around. Maybe I should've told him, but not in front of Sesshoumaru. Rin may not have heard, but the dog demon certainly would've, and still, even with him being so hospitable, I would have problems adjusting and trusting him so easily. After all we had been through, it was hard, even for me.

Shoulder slumping, I looked up, silently praying that Inu Yasha would be there; his very presence relaxed me and made me feel safe, as if I were but a child in my mother's arms. I had found that warm feeling nowhere else, and if I ever needed it, it was then. And then, he was there, in the doorway, watching me. I almost laughed; he was probably worried that I'd still be mad. If only he knew how much I wish he could come over and comfort me, but he'd probably escape while he could. Frankly, I wouldn't blame him. I wouldn't want to bring him down with me.

"Kagome?" 

He sounded so concerned. Maybe I was wrong.

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It was easy to understand why my heart had stopped when I saw her, but the thing I couldn't figure out was why it wouldn't start again. It was almost as if I had a Buyo sized snake around it, constricting until I couldn't breath, but weighing it down at the same time. I felt as if my heart had dropped into my stomach and my food would be dancing if it had still been beating. Where do I come up with these things? I almost laughed, but that notion soon vanished as she looked back towards the ground. Maybe now she'd tell me what was wrong; she looked so sad, so forlorn. There had to be something I could do.

I took a step into the room, then another, stopping only a few steps later when she stopped breathing.

"I miss Sango."

Well, that was easier than I had thought it would be. Kagome started sobbing and grabbed a pillow for support as I walked over to her. Refusing to lift her face, she buried it in the pillow and turned away, only crying more forcefully when I pulled her into my arms, letting both her and the soaked pillow into my embrace.

"Kagome... don't cry. What can I do? Do you want me to tell you about Sango and Miroku?" I could feel my own eyes water at the look she gave. Kagome bit her lip softly, looking up at me, and sniffled. If it weren't so sad it'd be adorable. Hell, it WAS adorable, but it wasn't the time for such thoughts. She nodded and I cuddled her against my chest, resting my head on hers.

"You know, it's because you left that they got together." 

"What do you mean?" She sniffled again, but I refused to let her look up at me, my head holding down her own. My heart was breaking with every sob, every shudder her boy produced, and I wasn't about to let her see that; she had enough on her mind as it was, and besides, my pride would rarely allow it.

"When Miroku is trying to be comforting, he's not a complete lecher." I smiled and nuzzled the top of her head a little. "They named their first born after you, you know." 

She stiffened and tried to look up again, but I wouldn't let her. Instead, I shifted one arm to slip around her waist and held her close. "Their first..." 

"They had three kids," I told her softly, "two boys and a girl. The girl they named after you. In a way, you *had* brought them together after all." 

"And the boys?" By now she had started relaxing, slowly letting her tenseness flow from her in the way that a child would fall asleep listening to their mother's voice at bedtime. I smiled softly and continued, closing my eyes against the tears and in a short, blissful remembrance.

"They couldn't think of any names, and must have had an awfully sick sense of humor." 

"How's that?" I laughed.

"Their next child was named after me and their third after Kouga." 

"What?!" All right, now I couldn't help it. Kagome bolted up, smacking my jaw with the top of her skull and turned to look up at me. It was impossible not to laugh at the expression on her face! It was like I had told her that there were aliens inside her shirt, clawing to escape from her breasts!

Thankfully, she seemed to have associated the laugh that came from that with my other one, and waited, though rather impatiently, for my answer. "They figured that the first two would be a symbol for the future... I *don't* have to explain that do I?" 

She pouted and glared at me; I smirked. "And the last one?" 

"Well, Inu needed *someone* to fight with." Kagome laughed and shook her head softly. 

"Sibling rivalry just comes naturally to you, doesn't it? What ever did happen to Kouga-kun? Is he in Tokyo too?" I bit my lip and nuzzled into her neck as deeply as I possibly could. Why did she have to ask? I had really tried to avoid this; she didn't need to know yet; she'd be heart-broken. I couldn't watch...

"Inu Yasha?" She sounded so worried.

"No Kagome... he died... fighting Naraku." She stiffened as something wet fell onto my neck. Reaching up to wipe away her tears, I realized that she was no longer crying, but then, what was that drop? "He fought bravely. I'm sorry." 

"Oh..." Another liquid drop graced my skin, but this time, I knew what it was; her blood tasted so sweet. (so tempted to end it here, but I have an even MORE EVIL cliffhanger in mind. Muahahahaha!)

Trying to wipe the blood from her face only succeeded in spreading the crimson silk across her chin. When she had finally released her lip, I lapped at the blood, but had little time to do so, as soon she had thrown her arms around me, almost crushing me with her hold. Tears mingled with her bloody lip, creating a swirling mass of transparent life, exploring her body from her bottom lip downwards, and eventually coming to soak into my, already tear-stained, shirt.

No matter how many times she did this, I couldn't help but be stunned. To have her so close to me with no move on my part, to have her need me to hold her and protect her was rapture. Seeing her like that threw my insides into inner turmoil, wanting to comfort her and protect her, but also wanting to kill whatever made her feel like this in the first place. Seeing as I couldn't kill time, I closed my eyes in a weak attempt to regain my composure, and rocked her softly, whispering sweet words and swaying with the rhythm of our beating hearts, though mine beat only for her.

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A tall woman stood in the doorway. Her dark brown, almost raven hair, usually waist length, was now tied in a bun, two tiny streams of hair dangling from within either side. Her orange bathrobe clashed slightly with the room she had been watching, but they hadn't noticed her to pay it any mind. Soft, forest green oriental slippers made the only noise, not but a slight scuffle among the sobs and cries from the heart-wrenching scene. Rin stood in that doorway, watching the two fondly. She could barely remember them as they were when she was a child, especially when she grew up with Inu Yasha always around. He had almost been a second father to her; having no pups of his own, he had decided to help Sesshoumaru with his, and, for a time, that included Rin. Now he seemed more like a big brother to her, and she was always talking to him about everything. She had often asked about the girl before her, having very few memories of her, but as she watched the two embrace, she could not deny that this seemed so right, so familiar. Kagome was much more than what Inu had described. Sure, she was, and is younger than Rin thought, but she was much stronger than even he had given her credit for, and that's not something to be taken lightly. Even Sessy, stubborn as he was, had mentioned her as one of the few humans he could "stand" when talking off-handedly about something or other. But even then, watching them, though she had known this girl less than a night, she could see the pain and sorrow she had held almost completely hidden to the world, and was beyond impressed.

A warm hand on Rin's shoulder brought her out of her thoughts, as she looked up to the owner. She smiled her usual, angelic smile and watched as his eyes lit up, melting amber against her warm chocolate orbs. His face never changed, but that was to be expected when they were not alone, and right now, though hidden from the other couple, they were still not alone. 

The pair watched as Kagome snuggled into the hanyou's neck, cuddling into the hair that was presently draped over his shoulder. She had stopped crying a few minutes before, and was now more uncertain of her emotions than anything. In short, she was vulnerable. As the miko drew herself closer, the demon lord was almost tempted to laugh at the sudden stiffening in his younger half-brother, almost. He had never gotten tired of watching him squirm, and having this girl around was almost as good as having a "most embarrassing moments of Inu" tape on hand. Come to think of it, that would be good for parties. Feeling Rin tug on his sleeve, Sesshoumaru watched as she led down the hall. He soon caught up and wrapped his arm around her gently, a soft smile gracing his delicate features. Rin loved to see him smile.

"She really has no idea what she's doing to him, does she?"

Sesshoumaru chuckled and replied dryly, "I'm surprised he even knows what she's doing to him." 

Grinning, Rin turned and smacked him gently on the arm, before taking a soft right and entering their chamber. Upon passing the door, the great demon lord picked up his love and carried her over to the fireplace, setting her down on a soft blanket and placing himself next to her. She giggled as his fluffy tail wrapped itself around her and tugged her closer, holding her protectively and lovingly tickling her nose. Contented, Sesshoumaru gazed upon his ward, his wife, his mate, as she drifted off into a slight slumber. Only two sounds were left to hang in the air that night, one being a soft, "Thank you Fluffy", and the other being a grunt from the youkai holding her.

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A strand of ebony flicked across the hanyou's face, tickling his sensitive nose and rousing him from a light sleep. They must've both been out as she was still curled in his arms. For fear of waking her, Inu Yasha nipped at the offending hair, attempting to catch it and blow it away without waking the girl in his arms. The hair jumped left, then right, curling and plunging, bouncing around and cleverly avoiding all of the half-demon's assaults. It evaded him one last time before coming in for the kill, and landing directly beneath his nose, rustling gently with his breathing. He tried everything! He bit his lip, he wiggled his nose, he had even tried to move his head, but it was to no avail as, at long last, he let out the sneeze he had been holding in with all of his might. On the brink of awakening, Kagome curled herself further into his lap, mumbling softly into his neck in her half-dream state. Of course, it didn't help that to do so, she had to reposition her body to stretch across his, causing her hair to fall back from her neck, now extended for his viewing.

Okay, this was no problem; he'd been through worse bef... oh my god! (I can say God because it's the modern time.^_^) Where did her leg just go?! It wasn't the movement that had awoken her, nor the sneeze; it was the loud yip as her leg apparently went somewhere it shouldn't have, and she adjusted it a way that she probably shouldn't have either. How was she to know; she was asleep!

Her eyes, cloudy and unfocused, barely registered who she was with as her mind fought to remember where she was. Realizing her, ahem, position, she move the offending (or not really.^_~) leg, but that only caused something a little "worse" than she had intended. She was straddling him again, and was, at least, extremely shocked at what she found there.

Meanwhile, Inu Yasha had jumped back a bit, and though the position hadn't changed, he had fled a small distance away from the uncomfortable silence. He kept his head low, trying to avoid her eyes as she cupped his cheek, softly lifting his face to meet her own. Now face to face, his eyes were still downcast, forcing her to use other means to make him look at her.

Gingerly sneaking around, the hand which was not cupping his cheek slid up and began to rub an ear. The appendage twitched at first, shocked at the sudden touch upon its sensitive hairs, but soon began to relax as the massage continued. 

Oh, he fought it, he really did. Damn this girl! How the hell did she always know?! As hard as he tried, he couldn't force down the purr that had ascended out of his throat, much less his face instinctively rubbing and pushing against the hand that was still there, her thumb caressing his cheek softly. He was too far-gone to realize what she had been doing until she switched ears and his mind cleared, though for only a second. His face was now, not only tilted upwards, but he was staring deeply into her eyes, a gaze that caused her to stop what she was doing, and unconsciously drop her hands to her sides.

Her heart beat faster as she was lost, completely and utterly helpless within the intensity of the look and the feelings within her. She thought that she would be used to this, to feeling this way, but she couldn't help the butterflies that were no longer dormant in her stomach, nor the desert that which her tongue had become. A thick air of silence filled the room, tension evident, and the longer it continued, the harder it was for either to break the gaze. Kagome subconsciously nibbled her lip, as Inu Yasha stared at it longingly, imagining the look on her face if her were to kiss her then, to run his hands through her hair, but she was vulnerable; he didn't want to take advantage of her, but what could he do?

Kagome gulped, drawn into the lust-filled amber pools. She felt as if she were drowning in them, and realized just how close they really were to each other. Were they that close a minute ago? It no longer mattered as Inu Yasha threw his arms around her, drawing her into his breast as he took a clawed finger to her chin, lifting her face to nibble on her lower lip. The feeling of her shuddering in his arms drove him on as his lips trailed down her chin, to her jaw line. He left a small trail of kisses down her neck, nipping and licking softly as he traveled lower, and eventually came to a rest nipping at the junction of her neck and shoulder. The girl moaned softly, and raised her hands from her sides, trailing them over his broad shoulders, lowering them to stroke his chest, and drawing little circles there with her index finger before licking it and running it across the expanse of his neck. 

With each soft moan, sweet kisses became burning desire, stoking the fire within their bellies as they touched, running their fingers across each other. They were stroking, teasing, caressing until it became a desperate need, a drug that urged their hearts to beat faster, more wildly, and caused them to rub against each other, their moans lost within each other's flesh.

Fangs came to graze upon the sweet landscape of flesh and pulse, running across it, as an animal would hunt its prey. Wrapping her arms completely around the hanyou's head, Kagome cradled it within her grasp, as she pulled his face closer, begging him to lick her, nip at her. Her scent, now filled with lust and passion was quickly driving him mad and his mouth widened, intent on submerging her tender flesh within himself. She moaned and gripped his hair more tightly, pushing him further and further, but the hanyou only pulled away, quickly taking her into his arms before she could get the wrong idea.

Their hearts beat, pulses choking them, bodies craving one another's, but there was one last thing to be done, and it had to be now. Inu Yasha had never been more frightened in all of his life. Softly, he whispered to her, eyes closed tightly and arms crushing her against him even more with each passing word.

"Kagome I..." he shut his eyes more tightly, trying to pull strength form their embrace and the rapid beating within their chests. "I love you... Kagome. Please, listen to me. There's something I need to know. If you become my mate, if you say yes, we will be together forever. I will be yours and you will be mine; this is it. There would be no turning back. If we were to die I would find you and make you mine again, and never in your existence would you ever be without me, and I you. Kagome, I want you; I need you. I want you as my mate. Please... will you accept?"


	29. Lemonade and Doughnuts do not Mix

Sorry for the long wait, but ghhaa!!! I'm not ready for this!!! Man, it's going to feel so weird saying things like "his member" or "arousal", but still, I am NOT going to say "fire in their loins". Rofl Sorry sweetness!^_^;;; How do you people do this? Gha, so embarrassed!=^-^= Okay, maybe it wasn't THAT bad...but still.^_^;

Anyway, yeah, my first lemon...err, lemonade.^_~ *giggles* As I said before, I tried to sweeten it a bit.^_^

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monkeysme- You know, it is kind of odd how Sesshoumaru is always some rich business man, but then again, he DOES rule over the entire western lands right? Besides, I think he looks like the type who'd settle for nothing but the best, and you can get that without being rich. Man, I'd hate to see him poor. That would be SCARY! *shudders* I can't even imagine Sesshoumaru in rags. 0.o;

Venus Aeternus- Sure, I'd love to check out your new story! It might take a day or so, but I'll be sure to check it out okay?^_^ And thanks for the comments. You're always there!^_^ *hugs*

KevinEC – Hmmm... actually, I am really glad you mentioned the age thing because it'll become a crucial part at the end of this chapter.^_^; I'll answer that just before the fic (in parenthesis). About the pics, actually, some of the few I've seen are either on the playing cards, trading cards, or on livejournal avatars, but I think you can find one... oh crud, I just saw two for heaven's sake! Umm...well, to be honest, I can't find the ones I ran across, sorry.~_~; I don't tend to save piccies, just show them to my Sess obsessed friend when I find them.~_~; Ugh, I should save proof when I claim something.~_~;;; Or at least bookmark the pages...sorry.^_^;

And thanks you to everyone who's commented and/or read my fic!^_^ I'm sorry I can't say thanks more often or to each person, but I love you guys!^_^ Thaaank Yoouu!!!^_^

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Disclaimer: I don't own Inuyasha or any of the characters in it. If I did I'd be rich, but I'm not... and if I had lots of money I'd probably spend it on anime anyway so pleeaasseee, don't sue me.^_^ lol

Oh, and as always,

_= thoughts *_* = sound/ italicized "_" = speech

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Memories of the Present

Chapter 29: Lemonade and Doughnuts do not Mix

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(NOTE: KevinEC asked about this and it would be a good thing for you to know. Okay, Kagome's age, well, I don't exactly know how old she is, but lets just say that she IS under age. Now, the age differences flow through countries so I didn't say "under 18", etc. because they differ.^_^ That's it for now! Enjoy!)

Oh, and just in case someone hasn't noticed this, **THIS CHAPTER IS A LEMON!** **ONLY READ THE LAST PARAGRAPH IF YOU DO NOT LIKE LEMONS!** Heh, man, how do you people write good lemons al the time?^_^; lol This is tough!

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"...will you accept?"

Inu Yasha could feel her grin as Kagome pulled out of his warm embrace and laughed softly. A single tear trickled down her flushed cheeks. The contrast of tears and her sweet scent filled him with the familiar protectiveness he had come to love. Had he made her cry? What had he done wrong? Her chocolate eyes shone brightly and her smile was genuine, but how could that be if she was... why; why the tear? 

"Silly puppy..." 

P... puppy? All at once the hanyou's senses were overpowered by a wave of fear. His eyes became cloudy, molten gold turning into more of a light orange rust color. Inu Yasha's fuzzy ears drooped as he thought about what that meant. Was he not worthy enough? Didn't she want to be with him? His fear caused pain, and the pain caused rage. How could she do that to him? He was so sure that she cared, and she LAUGHED? Did she laugh at him, at the question? Was he really so stupid as to wait for her for so long for this? Even if he had wanted to, he couldn't have taken another; he cared too much.

Gritting his teeth, Inu Yasha closed his eyes tightly against the coming tears, and looked away. His heart steadily plummeted, dragging any hope of happiness he had ever had along for the ride, and causing his breath to come in strangled pants. As he waited for the initial impact, the final shattering of his heart as if it held the rosary and not he, the hanyou realized something. He felt as if he were being ripped limb to limb, but this time, there was no way out, no predator to kill. He was cornered like a trapped animal, like the mutt he really was; there was no one, only Kagome, and he was a fool for falling for her. 

Kagome giggled softly; "I've always been yours." 

Inu Yasha's eyes snapped open and his head jerked towards her, wide eyes conveying everything he had felt at even the slightest glance. The once troubled sea returned to its golden state, calming and redeeming his heart, his worth. Blood raging, he pounced on her, snarling playfully, and nuzzled her neck. He stopped to ask but one question, stuttering a bit as he did so; "So... that's a yes?"

Kagome laughed; he sounded so hopeful, as if she had just pulled him from a cliff or something! She really didn't see how that would be possible, especially with the way that they had been over the last few days. He had to know how she felt by now! She giggled softly and cupped his face in between two porcelain hands in such a way that she could gaze deeply within his eyes. After all of that he still had doubts? Well, she'd have to take care of that, cute as it was. "That's a yes." 

Pulling his head downwards, Kagome kissed him desperately, fully taking in very aspect of the burning, tingling sensation that their connection caused. She bit at his bottom lip as he licked hers before thrusting his tongue deep within her. With a soft moan she began rubbing the base of his ears again, working on his pant's button with her other hand. She was having trouble relieving the metal from its place against his stomach; her fumbling fingers slipped over the button, causing a groan of frustration from the quivering miko. Lending a hand, Inu Yasha helped her release him from the cloth that had quickly become a prison, and nibbled on her lower lip, grateful for the release. His lips moved steadily, traveling to bite and suckle a perfectly formed earlobe. He then ran his fingers slowly down her sides, relishing the fact that he was the cause of the goosebumps, which seemed to pop up as soon as he had touched her.

Kagome moaned as her body automatically reacted to him, and arched her back, pushing every part of her being against him. She pulled him down, kissing him desperately, begging for something, anything to release her from the heat, which they had so carelessly caused. It was all moving so fast, and, though this wasn't how she thought her first time would be, she didn't really mind. Inu Yasha however, was a different story.

"Ka...*gasp* Kagome...w... ugn, we have to s... stop." No, he couldn't want that, could he? He had started this in the first place! He couldn't just... Gripping her shoulders firmly, Inu Yasha pushed her back, fighting every urge his body commanded, and every craving he'd ever had for the fragile miko within his arms. 

Kagome looked at him, body contrasted against the cerulean sheets, wary of what was to come. Didn't he want this? That look was slowly ebbing away at the walls Inu Yasha had set in place. He wanted this to be special, but it was harder than he ever could've imagined it to be. (in more than one way ladies.^_~***) His hands, though now clenched at his sides, ached to touch her, to hold her, anything as long as he could be near her!

"Why?" One word, one simple word and the barriers all came crumbling down. No defense could ever be put up that could stop the question, but maybe, to stall it a little?

Inu Yasha cupped her cheek and kissed her softly, chastely. At first, she didn't understand, but he was right; this is not what either wanted. This was their first, hers at least; she didn't really know about him, but it was to be savored; it was special.

Inu stood, pulling Kagome up with him, and pulled her gently within his embrace. With a few kisses to her throat, he picked her up, bridal-style (convenient ne?) and lay her tenderly on the bed, rolling down the sheets so that she could lie within them. Still fully clothed, though a little disheveled, he crawled in next to her, nudging her cheek and running a single claw down her arm.

The next kissed shared was no longer chaste, but still sweet. They suckled at one another, nipping at the other's lips before going more deeply, caressing each other with longing and love. Inu Yasha's tongue eased itself between her lips, enveloping itself within the sweet taste that was Kagome. She moaned, moving to caress the newest guest, only to pull back at first, shyness winning for but a brief moment. Though a bit timid, it was quickly overcome with a single sound, a soft, lustful moan, as Kagome's hand ventured downwards, taking the hem of his shirt and tugging softly, begging for its release.

First his shirt, then hers, she ran her hands across his broad chest. They were laying side by side, though now Inu was laying on his back, while she was propped up over him, holding her own petite weight as she stared longingly at his torso. He groaned and writhed at every touch, made purposefully to be agonizingly slow and torturous. She may not have had any practice at this, but with him, it wasn't needed. Tracing the outlines with her index finger, Kagome leaned over him, stooping to nuzzle the crook of his neck. She licked lower, dragging her moistened tongue across his collarbone and down his chest, stopping only to suckle softly at a nipple. Feeling the hanyou tense beneath her, she quickly began teasing it, nipping and rubbing playfully as she tweaked the other with her hand, earning a steady purr, though one slightly different than before. 

Inu Yasha bit back another moan as she ran her hands across his muscles, outlining each, causing them to flex instinctively beneath her touch. He snarled softly and clung to the sheets as if they were his life preserver, not daring to let go lest he lose control of himself completely. Her touches were like fire and ice, burning and stoking the spark she had created oh so long ago, but sending delicious shivers down his spine with every contact, every movement. His body begged, begged to roll on top of her, to thrust against her stomach, to please her, anything, anything to relieve himself of this torture! He thought his teeth would snap if he ground them any harder, but... oh gods, she wasn't going to... was she?

His breaths, though now mere pants, stopped all together as she touched him in the most sensitive of places, the place he needed her most. She reached within the black fabric prison and claimed him, pulling him further into the world, and into her grasp. Inu Yasha snarled, barring his teeth and he flipped their positions, feeding upon her as a hungry wolf would upon prey. He pushed her higher against the bed, and grabbed the collar of her shirt, tearing the thin fabric easily and ripping it completely away from her body, leaving it to bellow as it made its steady decent towards the hard wood floor.

Lost in the depths of passion, the hanyou caught a breast within his mouth, still fighting to regain control of himself. Tongue stroking each nib, he inflicted the same torture upon her which she had upon him, but he wasn't going to stop; he knew better. Kagome grabbed him, enclosing his length again beneath her fingers, as she felt him harden even more than either had ever thought possible. She stroked softly, as even above her he stilled, ceasing any and all thoughts other than that one focus. I was time; she saw her chance and took it.

Kagome held his hips, using their momentum to pull herself and slide quickly beneath him. She stopped and licked his tip softly, grasping the base and wrapping her tongue around him when he shuddered above her. She could tell he was weakening, as his body began to lose altitude and leaned ever closer to her. His arms felt like jelly, as if he would collapse any second, yet he had not the strength to pull away, not even enough to roll over so that she wouldn't be crushed if he had collapsed. How could she... His thoughts were cut off as she completely engulfed him, lips pressed and rubbing back and forth across his long member. He gasped and she moved, deeper and deeper, taking him up to the hilt within her mouth, forcing him further down her throat. She gagged, a natural reflex, but the tightening of her throat only added to his pleasure as his arms gave way and he was left hips in the air.

Tearing fabric was lost to the two as the sheets in Inu Yasha's death grip were torn by his claws, holes extending through every layer of the bedding minus the comforter wrapped about them. With newfound strength, the hanyou was up again, arms steady as he thrust into her awaiting mouth, her lips pumping him all the while. He clenched his jaw and moaned; "Please... don't stop... "

She was amazed, amazed at what she could do to him. As his thrusting increased she pulled away, earning a very audible whimper. She didn't get the chance to slide back up, as he met her halfway, nuzzling into her neck yet again. The force of their contact slid her up a little anyway, but all Kagome noticed before she was lost within blinding pleasure, was the sound of Inu Yasha's chattering teeth. 

In one smooth motion he had pinned her arms above her head with one hand, as the other trailed down her chest to resume what he had been doing previous to the little... interruption. He spent but a few moments fondling her breasts before moving on, this time for both pleasure and sweet, sweet revenge.

Both hands traveled lower on her body; her hips bucking, Inu Yasha stilled them, clamping one hand down on each of her thighs. He fingers trailed over her lower lips, playing in the tangled mass of hair before sliding past them. Kagome's neck stretched and snapped to the side as another cry erupted from her frame, driving the hanyou on with the hands grasped desperately within his snow-white mane. He withdrew the finger he had just placed there, and replaced it with two more as he licked the first free of her sweet nectar. Kagome's hands tugged harder on his hair as he began pumping his fingers inside of her, slowly at first, but quickening each stroke as she begged for more. As her hands found the holes he had made in the sheets, Kagome tensed around his fingers, and he removed them, careful of his claws and her barrier, before she could fully release. It wasn't over just yet.

When she had calmed down slightly, the hanyou stuck one more finger in, taking his claw and making a slight cut circling the barrier that proved her virginity. 

Inu Yasha nipped and licked gently at the soft skin of her neck while removing her undergarments. Her panties were around her knees and came off rather easily, but her bra had been pushed down and was taking way too long to get off. No matter, with one swipe of his claws it was gone, the only other remaining article soon to follow.

Inu Yasha sat up, quickly relieving himself of his pants and boxers, and lay over her once again. Kagome wrapped herself around him, arms around his neck, legs at his hips. He leaned closer, whispering in her ear for a moment before plunging into her depths. His head shot back as a howl escaped his lips. Gods she felt so good! Hot coals rushed through his veins, heating his body as he shivered in the night air. He had stilled within her, waiting for her pain to subside so they could move on. A quick bucking of her hips was the signal and he thrust, slowly at first as he kissed her and trailed small pecks down her body as far as he could reach. He began moving faster, pumping harder and harder as she raised her body to meet each thrust, enveloping him in her soft folds. Her moans rang in his ears, fueling his desire. Inu Yasha began to shudder, strained muscles taking all that they could bear as he raised his speed so much so that the miko could not keep up. Watching her head fly back, releasing cries of lust and pleasure drove him to the edge of both his strength and his stamina. She had long since released her grip on his white locks, now billowing around them, and settled for his chest instead. Her hands stroked him as he worked, slipping easily over the sweat that had began to accumulate on both of them.

Inu Yasha's eyes shot open as he realized that he was close to his peak. Her muscles began to clamp down around him, and he knew neither could take much more. Finally he released the hold he had had on his tongue. His fangs now covered in his blood, he dove at her throat, biting and easily piercing the supple flesh that lay there, mixing their blood as she climaxed, moaning and crying out his name as she fell into the drowsiness that comes with such pleasures. Now covered in her blood, he bit his tongue again, mixing the two in his own body as he peaked, howling and collapsing in a lifeless pile on top of her. 

As the lovers lay, tired and weak, Kagome spent her last few conscious moments running her trembling fingers through her mate's sweat-soaked locks, and imagining what their life would be like when they awoke.

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At some point in the night or morning they had shifted. When Inu Yasha woke, he was on his back again, his mate lying happily against his chest.

My... mate, he mused. A wide grin broke out and his eyes lit up, his smug expression then softening into one of love. She's my mate now. Kagome opened an eye and looked up into the face of her hanyou. He grinned at her, smile so large she was afraid for the roof. 

"Yo." Kagome giggled and cuddled closer, raising one hand to rub his ears. Purring, the hanyou chuckled softly; he'd have to get used to that. He bent down to lick the dried blood from the mark he had made on her the night before, but a sudden noise downstairs caught his attention. 

"Open up!" The door to their room burst open, and wooden shards flew into all corners of the spacious suite as men in blue uniforms raced in and lined up all around the room, blocking the door.

"You're under arrest!"


	30. The Chatter and the Jail

Hey guys!^_^ Well, I can no longer tell when I'm going to update anymore.~_~ Don't worry, it'll be AT LEAST once a week, usually two or three times, but I have too many essays and projects and storybooks and who knows what else to have a good schedule for updating. Sorry.~_~ Man, I'm three days behind on work too... shit. 

Anyway, yes they do read him his rights, though we don't see it, and the officer does say his name, but Sesshoumaru is too blinded to care. See, the cop isn't that bad in the end... right?^_^

Man is it just me or did I make Kagome a little vixen last chapter? 0.o; *shrugs* aww well, my weird mind at work.^_^

*giggles* Okay, review replies! You guys are the greatest!^_^

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Venus Aeternus- Gha! The site won't let me log into comment on your fic, but you know what? Smooorrreesss!!!!^_^ *giggles* I love smores! Heh, fluffy is so sweet and you know what? I think pretty much everyone loves a good Jaken bashing!^_^ *giggles* Yay, bashing! You know, I should really bludgeon him sometime. Hmmm... *cackles evily*

Dannigurl9488- Yeah, it is kind of ironic isn't it? ^_^; To be honest, this is just a filler chapter I thought would be nifty.^_^ You know, to explain how infiltrated demons are into the syste... oops, said too much! Lol 

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Goku's Daughter- Awww, you're so sweet!^_^ thanks sooo much for having me on your favs list!=^-^= --- feels all honored.^-^

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Monkeysme- Love cliffhangers in my fics? Damned straight!^_^ lol

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HanyouInuyasha- Sorry, but the past Inu had to learn it the hard way.^_^; Heh, so did the future Inu I suppose, but that's in a toooootally different context! =^-^;=

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Somebody- Welcome!^_^ Actually, yeah, but this could really happen almost any time in the series after meeting Kouga, so I wasn't exactly sure what age to make her.^_^; I decided to leave it up to you guys to decide.^_^

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Ame Tenshi- No problem, I know how that goes.^_^ and yeah, it was sad that Kouga died, but I couldn't think of anything else he could do this late in the series... unless he was the police officer that called them to bust Inu and Kagome. Damn, I should've done that! Lol oh well, too late now!^_^; 

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Disclaimer: I don't own Inuyasha or any of the characters in it. If I did I'd be rich, but I'm not... and if I had lots of money I'd probably spend it on anime anyway so pleeaasseee, don't sue me.^_^ lol

Oh, and as always,

_= thoughts *_* = sound/ italicized "_" = speech

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Memories of the Present

Chapter 30: The Chatter and the Jail 

"WHAT THE FUCK?!"

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As the dawn arose filling the sky with a delicate mix of blues and pinks, a powerful demon and his mate had been sound asleep, spooned against one another on the floor of their suite. The morning had been unusually chilly, but neither noticed as they pooled warmth, basking in their love for one another. Only one sound came through their window that morning, disturbing both the birds in the trees and the youkai from his sleep. Upon sensing intruders in the vicinity, Sesshoumaru stood, carefully unwrapping his fluffy tail which was, at the moment, wrapped securely around Rin, keeping her warm where they had lain the night before. It seemed that the small fire he had built had died during the night, leaving nothing but a small, smoldering pile of ashes and paper bits littering the stone masterpiece. Sesshoumaru stood, surveying the richly furnished room for anything out of the ordinary. 

The room itself was quite large in size, possibly large enough to fit at least three of the others. Their room, too, had a canopy bed and a hardwood floor, though more intricate than any of the others. The walls had been covered; hung on them were not only paintings, but ancient tapestries, which the youkai had paid handsomely for, buying them from the museums and all. The windows on all sides were veiled, valiantly resisting the sunlight that fought to invade the room and awaken his mate from her slumber. The tall, ivory doors had been left ajar, something Jaken would pay dearly for later in the morning; Sesshoumaru did not like anyone witnessing him with Rin, not even the toad youkai himself. 

As not to wake his mate, Sesshoumaru had scooped up the woman, one arm below her knees and the other against her back (yes, he healed himself with Tenssaiga and his arm came back). He gently placed her in their double king-sized bed, pulling the immaculate, white silk covers over her so that she would stay warm through the morning even without his presence. 

Getting Rin from the floor to the bed without waking her had taken an infinite amount of patience and strategy, not to mention at least ten minutes; she tossed and turned when he wasn't there, and even more so when it was cold. By the time his plan had been executed, there came a faint rapping at the estate door. As the banging increased, Sesshoumaru became more and more agitated. Seeing Rin stir, the dog demon snarled softly at the prospect of this, this HUMAN intruder waking his mate after he had gone through so much trouble to let her sleep. That irritation reached its peak when Rin woke, mumbling something about stupid people banging at all hours of the night. Now, to get on Sesshoumaru's bad side was one thing, but to bother his mate, these people had a death wish. 

Sesshoumaru growled, practically strangling his midnight-blue robe as he pulled it on, and stormed, as much as Sesshoumaru could, down the elegant hallway, pushing past any servant he had come across so that he could be the first to meet his...ahem, "guest". The very word sickened him; that some person as rude as they would have the honor of being his guest was an outrage. Putting his usual, emotionless mask back in place, the youkai lord gracefully pulled open the gigantic oak double doors and narrowed his eyes, the amber now orange with fury. You'd think police officers would have more respect. (sorry to cops, but they had to be like this for the purpose of the story! I don't mean it, really!)

The gentleman before him, pale and large in stature, pulled a small booklet from within the pocket of his pants. He, as well as the other ten policemen with him, were all wearing blue suits, some with hats and some without, but he had been the only one to step, or should we say waddle up, to the door. Quickly, well, not really, but he pulled out a small wallet sized case anyway, and flashed his badge. Now, normally this wouldn't have meant much of anything or been a big deal to Sesshoumaru. However, that morning had been unusually bright and the sunlight glinting off of the badge had hit the already pissed inu youkai right in the center of his sensitive eyes. 

To make it worse, this officer had stood a head short of Sesshoumaru, though when greeted, had attempted to 'look down' upon him, thoroughly pissing off the demon lord that much more. How insolent! The foolish human whelp thought himself better than Sesshoumaru, the Great Lord of the Western Lands?! Of course, most humans didn't know anything of that claim anymore, but the demons had still remembered it as a title to not only be respected, but to live by. If you angered this Sesshoumaru, you would surely die a very painful death. And now, a mere, weak human had the gall to insult him, a great youkai, in his own home?! The very nerve! If he were a head shorter then, he would be seven shorter when Sesshoumaru was done with him! (the body is anatomically about 7 heads tall.^_^)

"Um, yeah, we're looking for a..." the hefty man flipped through a few pages in his booklet, "a Mr. Yasha. (sorry, it's pathetic, I know.^_^; lol) We have reason to believe that he is in this vicinity."

The youkai subtly scrunched his nose and snorted at the human, "What business do you have with him?"

"That is none of your concern. We have a warrant to search the premises. Please, step aside." Sesshoumaru just stood tall, well above most of the men, and allowed the officer but a small crack with which to peek into his abode. He was about to block the entryway completely, but Rin beat him to it as she came up behind him, curious as to why she had been so rudely awaken.

"What is he being charged with?"

"Mam," the man tipped his hat towards Rin and glared towards them both, "if you and your... husband do not move aside, I'm afraid we will have to arrest you too." With that, the officer turned, nodding to a group of policemen behind him, and waddled towards his car. Sending the squad straight into the house, the officers engaged in a wide sweep before meeting up with Rin who was already making a break for the room Inu Yasha and Kagome were sleeping in. Oblivious to the demon glaring at them, the men pushed past Rin, though all but the first did so carefully, and with polite "excuse me Mam"s, and thus saving themselves from a slight fraction of the wrath which soon was sure to come.

They had reached the top floor with Sesshoumaru and Rin hot on their heels, ready for battle. No one expected what happened next. Within an instant the door to Inu Yasha's room was sent flying into the chamber, shards of wood and splinters EVERYWHERE, blanketing the floor and making it a war zone to even enter the room.

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(continuation from first section)

"Okay Louis, add 'resisting arrest' to the charges." The portly cop nodded towards one of the others and they began to frantically scribble on a small pad of paper.

"Excuse me?!" Okay, now they were scared; hell, even Sesshoumaru was scared, not like he'd ever admit it of course, but still. Rin had pushed past him into the room, smacking the pudgy officer square across the cheek, an act that had never before come from her kind heart. The action had left a mark Sango would've been proud of, and had engaged the room in complete and utter silence; not even the crickets dared to chirp. "You storm into MY house with NO explanation, tell US what to do in OUR own home, and then BREAK the door down! And now, NOW you're telling us that being surprised to be caught like... like...," she gestured frantically towards the naked and gaping couple in the bed, "like THAT IS AGAINST THE LAW?!!!!"

The man simply turned to Louis once again; "Add assaulting a police officer to tha..." He was quickly silenced by a glare from Sesshoumaru, promising not death, but far worse. It promised that Rin would have her shot at him; in other words, a glance that would've made Naraku hide in shame. The officer backed off slightly and gulped, mumbling to Louis about something along the lines of dismissing the last two charges before turning back to the hanyou and his new mate, and wiping his brow on his sleeve. He had been sweating profusely.

"Ahem, right. Are you Inu Yasha?" *chirp chirp* Taking the silence as a yes, he continued, "Mr. Yasha, you have been accused of having sexual relations with a minor, something I see to be correct." Finally coming out of his daze, Inu Yasha wrapped his arm around Kagome's waist and pulled her closer to him. Kagome tried her best to hide, to completely disappear into him and avoid this, not only embarrassing, but also frightening situation, but seemed to fail miserably as the officer looked to be concentrating on just one thing. 

"Sir!" The officer broke his gaze and watched realization dawn on Inu Yasha as the hanyou pulled the blankets higher around his mate's chest.

"How," Kagome whimpered, "and why? Why would you go through so much trouble over something as small as this? And why all of the manpower? It doesn't make sense!"

The man's gaze softened as he looked into her eyes, filled with a soft, caring luster that shone from beneath her surface. It was a shame, she was obviously an innocent and they really did seem to be in love, but if he failed to accomplish that task, he probably would've been demoted. A guy's got to do what a guy's got to do. "Sorry Mam, the station has some highly influential snitches." He sighed, "Though I don't understand why this would be such an important case." Righting himself, the officer stood tall, "But I am afraid that we'll have to escort Mr. Yasha down to the precinct either way. I'm sorry Mam." And with that, they all left the room so that the two could get changed, Rin sending a worried, yet comforting glance back to the couple.

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It's all my fault. Kagome sniffled.

"Don't worry Kagome, it'll be okay." Rin lay a comforting hand on Kagome's shoulder. The girls were sitting in an office with Sesshoumaru, waiting for someone to arrive. The office itself was nothing special, just a few chestnut chairs with royal blue padded backs and seats, and an oak desk with a black swivel chair behind it. The walls were a boring tan-ish color, and a bulletin board hung on the right wall full of pictures and notes for various cases. The room, only being barely large enough for two, let alone three, had no windows, leaving little room for escape as the door was behind them. Some may have called it "cozy", others "cramped", and to be honest, Kagome had begun to feel a little claustrophobic.

Earlier that morning, they had all decided that it would be better if Inu Yasha didn't put up a fight. Sesshoumaru suggested that he go down and talk with the chief of police personally. At the miko's untrusting glance, he then explained that he had known him at one point and that he could probably explain the situation. Of course, Kagome couldn't see how you'd explain that she'd fallen in love with him after jumping through a well which transported her to another time, nor could she understand how telling them that he had waited five hundred for her would help the age difference. Still, Sesshoumaru insisted and who had a better plan anyway? Actually, no one else really had a plan at all, well, none that involved anything legal. Inu Yasha had been FULL of ideas on the other scenarios.

Kagome had borrowed some clothes to wear until she could get to her house. After stopping off to change and gather supplies, they had headed down to the station where they now sat, waiting for the chief in his office. Kagome's mind had been plagued with worry and doubts, all telling her that this was all her fault. She had been waiting for this for so long, but... maybe they shouldn't have; if they hadn't he wouldn't be in this mess. Frankly, she wouldn't be surprised if he never talked to her again. What if after last night, she was... no, can't think about the possibility of being pregnant. Why hadn't she thought of that last night?! How could she live with herself if he wouldn't speak to her, especially then? That thought alone brought tears to her eyes, instantly causing Rin to hug her more tightly. 

Kagome had tried her best to avoid all eye contact that day, but Rin didn't mind; she understood. Though she couldn't imagine how badly Kagome must've felt, she could understand her plight, and tried her best to cheer the girl up. She knew that Kagome was probably blaming herself, though it couldn't possibly have been her fault, but who would've cared so much as to do this? It wasn't like it was all that big of a matter, especially in today's society where you saw it all of the time. Who ever had called this in had better watch out when Inu Yasha...

Rin's jumped slightly, startled from her thoughts as the door opened to reveal a tall man with black hair, and a... *tail*?!

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"And now we're here." Kagome shifted nervously in her seat, gripping the hem of her shirt and staring at it as if it were the most fascinating thing in the world. Deep down she was really scared. Would this cause a problem in Inu Yasha's life? Would he be mad? Would they be able to get him out at all? I mean, Sesshoumaru is powerful, but who knows the extent of his power in this day and age; he could have less pull than one might think.

"Ahhh, I see. So, Sesshoumaru, this man is your brother?"

I hope this doesn't get Sesshoumaru in trouble too. The miko abandoned her shirt to begin nibbling on her fingernails. If she involved both of them in this, she'd feel so horrible!

"Half-brother." Rin pushed the girl's hands away from her mouth and held them comfortingly. She mouthed 'don't worry' and smiled, earning a slight smile from Kagome in return.

"Hmmm... well, there's very little I can do," two golden eyes narrowed into a very dangerous slits, "but maybe I can find something." The smaller youkai pulled at his collar uncomfortably before getting up. He seemed to be having the same reaction to Sesshoumaru that the police officer had had to Rin's outburst, but then again, who could blame him?

The chief, as was said before, did indeed have black hair, but upon further inspection, small bits of gray could be seen peeking through the tresses. Though relatively young in demon years, he did not have the advantage that Sesshoumaru did, and could not pass himself as aging by leaving that color the same. His blue stripped shirt bunched around his arms as he reached into his file cabinet, lifting the shirt at the bottom from his pants, and forcing the others to look away before he noticed his "plumber's syndrome". As he pulled out a file and returned to his desk, the signal to pay attention was wrought by the slight squeak of his rolling chair as he scooted in, trying to get comfortable. His eyes, black in the center, and fading to forest green on the outer edges, looked over each member individually. He had often heard the stories of the strange girl and the hanyou when he was a child; his mother had sat by his bedside every night and told him of the legends. Yes, legends, over the years that much had been ensured, though no one thought them real anymore, not even the demons that had lived through the period. It was strange really; of course, he believed Sesshoumaru. Why wouldn't he? But if what they claimed was the truth, then he would have living legends, literally, in his police station, something the average youkai wasn't exactly used to on a day to day basis. But he did have a reputation to keep, so none of this could account for any action taken... consciously. He wouldn't let them know that he knew of them, "of" being the key word, and for all he knew they could be lying anyway, a thought that seemed to go against everything his gut was telling him. If there is one thing you learned in his job, it was to listen to your instincts, and right now, they were screaming at him.

"Well, it will be difficult, but I'll se what I can do." Allowing a small smile to graze his features, he picked up his phone and dialed a number. A ringing could be heard outside of the office, somewhere in the next room. One of the other officers in the building picked it up, and hurriedly left on their newest task, to bring Inu Yasha with them. 

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"DAMNIT, LET ME GO! WHERE'S KAGOME! IF YOU'VE HURT HER I SWEAR I'LL...!!!"

Did he really HAVE to come kicking and screaming? Wait, this was Inu Yasha right? Nevermind.

"Inu Yasha!" At the sound of Kagome's voice the hanyou stopped struggling and pulled himself free of the guards. He raced through the building, following her scent, and, as soon as she came into sight, leapt at her, almost knocking them both down in the process.

"Kagome!" Inu Yasha scanned every part of her and put a finger under her chin, lifting her face to look, albeit worriedly, into her eyes, "Kagome, are you okay?" 

When Inu Yasha had been yelling like that, she had been so ready to 'sit' him, but that feeling easily melted away when she noticed how worried he sounded. Kagome giggled softly and threw her arms around him. "I'm fine... but...I'm sorry. If it wasn't for me then..."

"No Kagome," he lowered his head and nuzzled the mark on her neck, "don't, please. I'm glad it happened and I hope it will again. There is no blame to be placed, so just stop it, okay?" Worry subsiding, the hanyou kissed her temple and sat down in the chair she had previously occupied, pulling her into his lap, and snarling at the police chief when he was sure that Kagome was comfortable.

"What's the meaning of this?"


	31. She had seen Him

Okay, first off, Akkou =evil. I wanted something along the lines of "creepy" for Hojo's dad's name, but I couldn't find it and this was in Starr-chan's From an Alley. You should go read it; it's an awesome little fic!^_~ Anyway, I guess that's where Samurai Jack got it from ne?

Oh, and for the story, he didn't know Kouga very well because Kouga died before he was born; that is why he calls him by his name and not father or something else.^_^ You'll know what I mean when you get there.^_^ It's just a short little blurb really.^_^

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SylverAngel- Lol you know, if I had planned this part out ahead of time I probably would've made him Kouga or a relation to him, but I already said that Kouga died.~_~; Man, that would've been an awesome twist though wouldn't it? Should've done that. Oh well.^_^; I guess there may have been enough time between her leaving and them defeating Naraku for Kouga to take a mate, but still... actually, would it be okay if I use that? I'll make it a short little thing, but if you don't want me to I'll take it out okay?^_^ Thanks! *hugs*

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Kurisuchie - Awww, you're so sweet!^_^ Yeah, I'm sure it would take a while to read all of this, but I'm glad you're enjoying it!

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TalonKarrde- Muahahahahaha!!!! Well, let's see!^_^

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Zerianyu -Yeah, we do need little filler chapters sometimes. *shrugs* Aww well.^_^

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Sorceress-Sammi- Awww, you're sweet too!^_^ *hugs* Gods I luv you people!^_^

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Angelofdiamonds- Yep, he's a demon.^_^

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Disclaimer: I don't own Inuyasha or any of the characters in it. If I did I'd be rich, but I'm not... and if I had lots of money I'd probably spend it on anime anyway so pleeaasseee, don't sue me.^_^ lol

Oh, and as always,

_= thoughts *_* = sound/ italicized "_" = speech

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Memories of the Present

Chapter 31: She had seen Him

"Akkou ..." Inu Yasha unconsciously snarled at the name. 

I can't believe that asshole would do this to me! He was probably going to spread this to the papers and try for my job again! Lips raised and teeth barred, he tightened his grip around Kagome's waist.

Kagome leaned back and nuzzled Inu Yasha's neck, hoping to calm him some. "Hojo's father? I can't believe he'd do this!"

The police chief sighed; "I'm sorry, but it is true."

"Hey, wait a minute," Kagome stood up, depriving the hanyou of her warmth. Much to Inu's dismay, she bent over the officer's desk and eyed him suspiciously, showing a bit of something that she probably hadn't been aware of. Thankfully, the officer seemed to know better than to incur the hanyou's wrath; hanyou or not, he was Inu Yasha, and the chief did have a self-preservation instinct after all. "Aren't you supposed to be sworn to secrecy?"

The man simply cleared his throat and continued; "Yes, so you're free to go and no hard feelings right?"

Sesshoumaru nodded, glaring at the miko when she tried to open her mouth once more. "Thank you for your assistance; we will be leaving now."

"Ah, right, right Mr. Sesshoumaru sir, let me get the door for you!" With that, the demon lord rose, bringing Rin with him as he walked gracefully out the office door. The nervous officer quickly followed, stumbling and shuffling in his attempt to catch up, and guided them out of the station, trying his best to stay on the youkai's good side.

Isn't ironic father? After all this time I am forced to free the one person you hated most. The officer smiled fondly as a small memory resurfaced in his mind, disrupting his thoughts as a single pebble in his stream of consciousness. He could see his father standing above him, proud and tall, boasting after his mother had told him of one of the Shikon stories. He stood only up to his calf, but he could never forget the way his father's black ponytail swayed with the wind, or how his brilliant blue eyes laughed; he had been so sure of himself, even until his death. Even as the officer watched the great Sesshoumaru leave his station, the glass door swinging to and fro after him, he couldn't help but feel pride, not of this demon lord who had so "graced" him with his presence, but of the father he had barely known. Kouga, I am proud to be of you. 

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"Are you sure you're alright?"

"Keh."

It had been about another hour of walking, but they were almost there. It seems that when Sesshoumaru said that they were leaving, he meant it. Of course, he didn't intend his brother or his mate to accompany them home, so that left the two walking... again. Oh well, the scenery wasn't exactly the nicest in the land, but they'd both seen worse. Besides, Inu Yasha couldn't be too upset; he wasn't in jail, Kagome was his mate, and they were almost to their destination. Actually, thinking about it, the inu hanyou was actually feeling pretty good right about then.

"Inu Yasha?" Grinning, he looked down upon his mate, golden eyes so bright that she blushed at their intensity. "Um... where are we going?"

Inwardly he chuckled at her uncertainty, and his hands rose to cup her cheeks. Losing himself in her loving gaze, there was but one word to be uttered; "Home. We're going home Kagome."

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Watching her awestruck face, Inu Yasha couldn't help the newly formed surge of pride that was now flooding his system. They had arrived at his "apartment" only moments before, but neither could quite effectively manage to get Kagome's jaw off of the finely tailored rug. Needles to say, he was incredibly pleased that his mate liked his home, their home, well, soon to be theirs anyway; Kagome had to agree first. She would agree to live with him... wouldn't she?

"This is an APARTMENT?!"

His heart swelled as she swung around, almost knocking him over as she crashed into him. She was too dazed to do much of anything at that point. I mean, WOW! This place was HUGE! Okay, now when someone says apartment you think three rooms maybe, possibly with a bathroom right? Well, apparently that's not what he thought.

She had been stunned when they first entered the building, or should I say hotel? At first she wondered if he was living in one of the hotel rooms, much smaller than her idea of an apartment. Of course, it didn't matter where he lived, but she had to admit that it was a little startling. As the elevator rose, she noticed how high the numbers were going, 30, 31, 32, 33, 34, 35. Wait, thirty-five? That couldn't be right; she thought that only the huge, large house sized suites were... oh my God.

The elevators had opened into a small room. The walls were a pasty yellow hue, and there hung a random picture of a vase of flowers. The only other thing in the room had been a door on the opposite side so, what else could she do; she went in. The door lead into another elevator, this one however, being a bit different. Instead of the usual fake wooden interior with a holding bar, list of buttons, and possibly a mirror in the back, this one was large, incredibly spacious actually. It had actual royal blue padded sides, thick with a patterned décor, and had a backing which was not a mirror, but a window so that you could look out over the entire city and then some. Where the numbers usually were there was nothing but a keyhole. Running a hand beneath his shirt, Inu Yasha pulled out three keys. One unlocked the keyhole, which opened up a door with floor numbers beneath it. Only the bottom and the top floors were awarded their own keyholes; the others had to be accessed from inside. Using the another key, he pushed it into the hole for the upper floor and the elevator began to rise. 

As it did so, Kagome rushed over to the window, gushing about the sight below. She couldn't believe how much she could see from there! A warm breath against her neck sent shivers down her spine and she turned her head, leaning to nuzzle against the hanyou's cheek happily.

"Oh Inu Yasha," she whispered breathlessly, "the view is so beautiful." He only smiled and cuddled closer, pulling her further into his warm embrace.

"Is it? I wasn't playing attention." This was how life should be. He had thought so anyway. He had his mate, a beautiful view, and a private seat to enjoy them on. The peace and serenity here were what he often longed for. How much would he give to be able to go back through the well, to go and run in the forests, even with the scent of death everywhere? The clean air, green trees, beautiful clean lakes and rivers, and people who believed, it was pure bliss, and he had never known how good he had had it. Then again, that's the way it always goes right? 

Inu Yasha began to softly nip at the top curve of her ear, enjoying the knowledge that he was causing the shivers that he felt rushing up her spine. Turning her slowly, he took the miko into his arms, pushing back thick locks of ebony hair, and watching them drape and fall down behind her, shimmering as they swayed with her every movement. He was mesmerized, that much was obvious. Gods how he loved her. That was the only thing on his mind as he pulled her closer and kissed her softly, relishing in the feel of her hands slowly slipping around his neck and through his hair.

All too soon the elevator stopped, doors opening into yet another small room with nothing but a door. Inu Yasha released her reluctantly and pulled the last key forth, putting it into the lock and opening the door. So, this was his apartment huh?

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The main room looked just like anyone else's with but one exception; everything looked ten times bigger and twenty times more expensive. In the middle of the room was slightly lowered, the square large enough to fit at least one and a half of her rooms. On each side of the square was a rim, the height of a regular step creating one continual single-stepped staircase around the entire perimeter. This was the only section of the room that seemed to have a wooden floor. On the wooden floor was a black and white rug, guarding against scratches which the furniture would surely cause.

The couch itself was all leather, but it had a white blanket draped over the back. Its legs were mahogany and it seemed to easily tower over the small, leather automan before it. In front of both was a small glass coffee table. Etched within the glass were white images of various demons and wildlife, but only bordering the edges, and creating a triangle of pattern at each corner of the streak-free glass. Everything listed above faced towards the door in which they were then standing. The square also held a leather love seat, but that was to the right of their view, and therefore, to the right of the couch.

Around that section was a set of long, thin rugs. Each had the same design as the black and white one in the square, and lined up around the outside of it, leading delicately towards the black and white tile floor that stretched out in every direction. As she looked on from the doorway, Kagome could also see the kitchen, or part of it at least. Behind everything here was a partial wall, one that had a small viewing window, closed off by a set of delicate, retractable shutters. The entire wall next to that one was made of glass, a glass door making the room easily accessible to the real world, except for the fact that they were high above it. Beautiful embroidered curtains had been pushed aside and tied up on each end of the wall. Wait, so then... if they were that high up, the city couldn't be his backyard. So... what was outside?

"Want the tour?" Blinking suddenly as surprise slowly registered on her face, Kagome was left with no other response other than the classic blank nod. The hanyou smiled, chuckling slightly as he watched her face heat up, at first with embarrassment, and then with anger to coincide with his chuckling. Before she could yell at him, he quickly slid his arm around her, pulling the dazed girl after him as he made his way to that giant wall of glass.

"So Inu Yasha, where do you work that you can afford a place like this?" Oops, well, maybe it was a little blunt, but curiosity killed the cat right, and she really didn't want to die. (Ep. 38 Shippou makes drawings of her, Kouga, and Inu. She was a cat.^_^)

"Keh, what does it matter?" Kagome's cheerful smile fell a little. That hadn't exactly been the answer she had been looking for had it?

"Because I really want to know." 

"I'm a manager." Okay, a little better.

"Really? Where?" 

"Why do you care?" Okay, maybe not better.

Kagome sighed and rubbed the back of her neck nervously. Why didn't he want to tell her? It wasn't like she would've been ashamed of what he did. Besides, with this much money, how could she have been? She wasn't trying to pry; things were just so... different...

"Just…'cause I..." Inu Yasha turned, watching her chest rise and fall as she let out another sigh. Why was this so important to her? Obviously it was or she wouldn't have her head bowed in such a way, but why? Unconsciously, he walked a little closer to her, silently waiting for her to continue. 

"... I want to know what your life is like now." and maybe be a part of it. 

He sighed, but it was to be expected. Oh well, there was only one thing left to do; "What do you want for lunch?" Straying from their path, the two headed towards the partial wall, and past it into the kitchen. Looking half-heartedly through the cupboards, there seemed to only be one food source there... well, two, but she doubted that watching Inu Yasha eat peanutbutter would be as funny to him as is would be to her, and the only other choice, ramen. Why was she not surprised?

Looking a little crestfallen, the miko replied, "I dunno. I guess ramen." Inu Yasha poured them both a glass of water and she took a small sip of hers, her lips barely grazing the glass.

"You just answered your own question." 

"What?" She looked curiously up at him, the cup of water coming to her lips a little more confidently this time. Well, at least he was making conversation, but what did he mean?

"Keh, do I have to spell it out? I am the sole owner of the company that makes ramen." 

"What?!" Water went flying as Kagome practically doubled over coughing; Inu Yasha pat her back, and she sputtered. "How'd you manage that?" 

The hanyou looked a little hurt at this, as he placed some water on the stove to boil, "Why, you don't think I'm capable of it?" 

"No, no, no, I didn't mean it like that!," Kagome waved her hands in front of her face as if it could prove her innocence; "You just basically have your dream job." She looked towards the floor, and then back up again; " I mean, you get your favorite food... it IS still your favorite right?" He nodded. "Then you get your favorite food, basically for free, you get lots of money, and an awesome apartment! It just seems that you must've been pretty lucky to get such a good deal." 

He shrugged, "Not really. I just waited around for it to be invented and then supplied the money for the original creator to develop it, thus creating a partnership. It wasn't really that hard actually."

"Oh..." Yeah, not that hard... why was it that he could make everything sound so easy?! 

The next few minutes passed by slowly, each of the two wallowing in their questions for one another until the whistle blew, signaling that the water was done. Most of the water going to ramen, the rest went to making them both cups of tea, and they went back into the living room to eat.

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The tense silence lasted throughout lunch, only lessening when Inu Yasha tried to take the dishes. As a guest, Kagome offered to as well, and lets just say that without the sit command, their squabbles were quite entertaining. After two minutes of fighting came fifteen minutes of wrestling and tickling, followed by another three minutes of downtime before Inu decided to continue the tour.

Completely forgetting the glass doors, he instead led her to a room, one of the two to the left (when looking from the doorway), and stopped before entering. 

"I just need to grab something. Hold on a second." He disappeared inside soon after, but who was she to stay put when asked? She followed him as quietly as she could, tip toeing across the carpet and into the room.

Well, this one seemed to be...Kagome blushed... his bedroom. Inside, Kagome could see Inu Yasha rummaging through his dresser drawers, practically throwing every article of clothes on the floor in a hasty search for... well, whatever he was looking for. Only when a pair of boxers flew at her head did she look away, and right to something she never expected.

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Arg, damnmit, where the hell is it?! Ah HA! Hehe, found you sucka! Thought you could hide from me! 

Sure, Inu Yasha knew he was talking to an inanimate object, a remote control actually, but the important thing was that this inanimate object didn't outsmart him. Yep, and for that he was truly proud. How it got in his underwear drawer he'd never know but...oh, wait, yeah; Shippou was SO dead!

The hanyou turned, not quite as happy, nor proud as before, but still pleased at what he would go show Kagome. It was the one part of wealth that really mattered... well, entertained you anyway, and he had gone all out. Unfortunately, though he was quite excited, it didn't seem that Kagome was. Wait, didn't he tell her to wait in the other room?

Without a word the miko stepped further into the dimly lit room, until she eventually passed the hanyou all together, without even a single glance back. His heart sank, but not that she moved past him, no, that wasn't the problem. Damnit, why did that girl never listen when he told her something?! Well, nothing he could do about it now.

"Miroku... Sango... your... my...You... you kept these?"

Yep, she'd found them. Hanging on each wall of his room was a weapon. On one was Miroku's staff, another Sango's Hiraikotsu, Shippo's toys on another, and finally, Tetsussaiga joined her old quiver and arrows, preserved and placed delicately above the bed, looking down on the hanyou, protecting him as he slept at night.

This was his sanctuary, his privacy, and the keeper of the most precious of memories, and now she had seen it; she had seen him.


	32. There’s no Place like Home

Wow, you never think that you'll see the day until it finally arrives. Well folks, this seems to be the... DUN DUN DUUUHHHH... final chapter. *shudders slightly* Wow, you never really do think it'll come. What'll I do without my baby?! Lol

Anyway, I have an AN post after this chapter that you may want to read. It'll have last bit of notes and updates, and a bit about what I'm planning on doing next.^_^ Yay!

Anyway, for now, here are some replies!^_^

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GothicElf- Ahhh!!! You're so sweet!=^-^= Heh, yeah, but it's true! The bitch won't die! Well... I guess she IS dead, but you know what I mean.^_^ You... you really took that much time to read my fic? You guys are the greatest!^_^_^_^_^_^_^_^_^_^ Man, with commenters like you how can anyone help but love doing this? Thank yoouu!!!^_^ *hugs*

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Solus Nox- Awww, no worries.^_^ I know, everyone's life is busy, especially now. *sighs* But hey, I'm honored if I can have someone as loyal as you reading.^_^ You've stuck with me for quite a while haven't you?^_^ Always with a comment or something nice to say... um, or both.^_^; lol You know what? Love ya!!! And thanks so much!^_^

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HanyouInuyasha- Lol no problem, thanks for commenting.^_~* But no, there's only one Kagome to switch between worlds unless you have a machine or portal into another part of the past or future. However, the more portals you have the more unstable everything gets, and that would just suck.^_^; lol An army of Kagomes would be kind of cool, but man, when they got mad... RUN FOR THE HILLS!!!

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Pheonia- Well, yeah, she has seen them before, but think about it this way; In the last two days or so Kagome has been forced to come to the realization that all of her friends and what she once knew as Inu Yasha are all dead. No friends, no place where she spent most of her happy times, no nadda. She has come back to cope with not only a newer Inu Yasha, so to speak, but also a newer Sesshoumaru, Rin, and the knowledge that her family has been deceiving her all of her life. She is mated with the "newer" Inu Yasha, and then he is thrown in jail and she thinks that it is her fault. Personally, I think I'd be a LIIITTTLLLEEE stressed and emotional about then. Besides, if all of that happened in two days, she didn't have much time to heal nor cope with anything. The wounds are still fresh and the weapons are just reminders of all that she has lost. Inu Yasha, though mainly the same, has grown to understand people a little more and knows that if Kagome sees the weapons that she'd remember and be sad. He doesn't want his mate sad. *giggles* Um... I guess that's about it.^_^; lol 

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Goku's Daughter- lol No problem.^_^ Glad you like it!^_^ *hugs*

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Silverstarlight- the remote? Hehehehe... you'll see.^_~*

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Ame Tenshi- heh, yeah, I've been tempted to do the "next time on..." things too.^_^; lol So great!^_^

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Disclaimer: I don't own Inuyasha or any of the characters in it. If I did I'd be rich, but I'm not... and if I had lots of money I'd probably spend it on anime anyway so pleeaasseee, don't sue me.^_^ lol

Oh, and as always,

_= thoughts *_* = sound/ italicized "_" = speech

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Memories of the Present

Chapter 32: There's no Place like Home

"Kagome..." Inu Yasha paused, watching the stream of emotions flow through her luscious, chocolate orbs, first surprise, then sadness, and finally, realization, or maybe... pity? As she gazed at the walls, the darkened pools reflected each weapon individually, revealing both flaw and beauty never seen in them before. They weren't objects; they were memories, relics left behind that had been coated with who they were once with. No, not deadly, lonely, just as she realized he must have been all these years.

"Inu Yasha," Kagome turned tearful, sympathetic eyes towards him. If it had been anyone else he wouldn't have allowed it, but at the moment, he had no choice. The atmosphere in the room seemed so thick as to stop time itself, but it still managed to move on, though at an agonizingly slow rate, no faster than a slug. "I can't believe that you still..." The sound of a door closing broke the spell, awakening both to the tension filled air around them.

"Hey, I'm home! Is Kagome back yet?"

"Wha?" Wide-eyed, the miko turned full-circle to face the oncoming voice. Inu Yasha was, for the moment, thankful for her rampant changes and moods swings, but at the same time, why then?!

Grrr... damned fox! Did he have to come NOW?!

"Inu Yasha, I know you're not deaf dog boy! I asked if..." There was a slight pause followed by a muffled shuffling sound coming from the main room. "Kirara, where are you..." 

"Kirara?!" The fire cat raced through the door and tackled Kagome's feet. She rubbed against them, purring happily as Kagome bent down, almost subserviently, to scratch her ears. Kirara began to wind her tails around Kagome's legs when Shippou arrived. 

"Kagome!" Rounding the corner, the kit came to a screeching halt just in time to turn and dash towards his adopted mother.

"Sh... Shippou?!" Oh my God, they're all here! Shippou's here and Kirara... Kirara survived?! Tears welled up in her eyes, raining gently on her soaring heart. It felt as if gravity itself had been lifted off of her shoulders, and gave a feeling of freedom, a feeling that everything would be okay, that all was right in the world.

"Kagome! It's really you!" The kitsune bolted across Inu Yasha's room full force and tried to slow a little bit when he came close to her, but he had a slight miscalculation and crashed into Kagome, knocking her down towards the red-carpeted floor. In the blink of an eye, Shippou held her in his arms again, and grinned sheepishly; the girl just laughed.

"It's okay Shippou, I...oh! Inu Yasha!" Kagome glared as she was ripped from the kit's embrace and into Inu Yasha's. Sure she loved being in the hanyou's arms, *her* hanyou's arms actually, but her kit was all grown up, and she wanted to spend some time with him. The hanyou growled threateningly at the younger kitsune and pulled Kagome that much closer, tightening his grip on her slender waist and glaring at Shippou with cold, slitted eyes from over her shoulder.

Shippou laughed; "Jealous because I saved her before you could?" Inu Yasha growled and lunged at the kitsune, leaving Kagome with nothing to do but sit and watch. Dodging a Sankon Tessou or two, Shippou finally made his way back to Kagome a few minutes later. She had been busy petting Kirara throughout the entire escapade, and only now looked up to greet the fighting duo. Shippou smiled and nodded to the feline; "Kirara, may I?" With a small nod and an equally timid "mew", the fire cat was off of Kagome's lap and sitting next to her on the hanyou's bed, purring contentedly to see another friend after so long.

"Kagome... I've missed you so much... you're just how I remember." Shippou took her hands in his own and stared deeply into her eyes. He seemed to radiate happiness as his longing gaze was filled with the familiar happiness and comfort of his youth. He tackled her in a hug again, and this time wasn't pulled away. "Why did you leave us Kagome? Why did you leave me?"

"Oh Shippou," Kagome held onto him for all she was worth, a single sniffle breaking the already weakened barrier she had put up, "I didn't leave you. I could never leave you." 

"The well sealed itself. I watched it happen." Inu Yasha slowly made his way towards his mate and kit, his expression becoming slightly somber at the words being spoken around him.

Kagome tightened her hold on Shippou and chuckled; "You know, it's weird. That was only three days ago for me, and you've grown up so much." Kagome sighed and giggled softly before pulling away to look at him; "Though it's true that kids are supposed to grow up too fast, this is ridiculous." The kitsune laughed while Kirara happily resumed her place in the miko's lap, which was soon to be on top of Inu Yasha's. Kagome giggled again and sighed contentedly. Leaning back against her hanyou' chest, she had to wonder; what more could she want? She had her mate, her son, and Kirara, not to mention a house full of wonderful memories; that was about all that she could ask for, considering.

"So Inu, shown her the TV yet?"

"TV?" Okay, so maybe there was one more thing.

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So this is what that remote was for. "To all that art holy..."

"Nice huh?"

"I think that's an understatement."

Well, what to say? They had ventured from Inu Yasha's room to one straight across the main room. This place had been dubbed entertainment central, and not without reason. The entire wall, floor to ceiling, and the entire width was one giant flat screen TV, complete with digital cable, free movies, the works. The wall to the left was covered with DVDs, never VHS, and the wall across from it (to the right of the first) with hundreds, thousands of CDs. Hungry, thirsty? No problem; the back wall was a fully detailed, not to mention fully stocked, bar with alcohol, soda, juice, water, anything. You name it, it was probably there. Along with the microwave and stacks of popcorn bags, various other bits of junk food were stashed within one of the many cabinets beneath the bar. There were cookies, chips, candy, salsa, cheese, and even some healthy things such as a variety of fruits and vegetables. 

Inu Yasha led Kagome around the back of a couch, strategically placed in front of the TV with it's back to the bar, and around the glass table in front of it to sit, and promptly rose to began the movie search.

"You want anything to eat, drink?"

"Hmm?" Kagome took a moment away from gazing about the room to notice that Shippou was watching her. "No, I'm okay, but thanks."

The kit smiled, "No problem." Getting a can of soda for himself, he sat next to Kagome and gazed at her fondly. Gods how he just wanted to curl up in her lap as he did when he was a cub. He wanted nothing more than to be held, but he was older now, much older, and that sort of thing just wasn't proper. Still... leaning his head on her shoulder couldn't hurt... right?

Well, it certainly could if Inu Yasha had seen, which he had of course. Oh yeah, that was one PISSED hanyou. Sure, Shippou was basically his pup, but no one, NO ONE touched his mate without his approval, and Shippou damned well knew that. Of course, the way Kagome giggled and started petting him didn't help the hanyou's temper either; her motherly instincts, though pleasing as they were, were going to get her into trouble one of these days... or these minu... secon... ah crap, he needed to separate them.

A low growl had been all Shippou needed before he began to back off, but Kagome, it seemed, wouldn't have it. She took time to notice the changes he had seen since their last encounter. Though obviously older, the kit, if she could still call him that, looked to be between fifteen and seventeen. He still had the beautiful, soft reddish-brown hair, and his eyes, though still the bright cheery apple color they once were, were now slightly worn with age and loss. How could demons stand to live so long? To watch the ones they love and so many more die?

He no longer wore the blue bow, but now opted for a more traditional hat or bandanna along with a pair of dark blue jeans and a regular tee shirt, which was the color of his hat. Over time, it seems, his once tan, poofy tail had become more elongated, yet even softer if possible, and was often hidden from prying eyes by a simple spell, though he opted not to use it most of the time. Anywhere he went people just thought that his tail, fangs, and claws were some kind of teenage fad, so why bother? Only the demons believed in demons now a day. 

As Kagome took in every new change in Shippou, he had been taking in the exact opposite, how everything was the same with her. He had missed those arms, that hair, that voice, but most of all, he missed his mother. Actually, hearing her "sit" Inu Yasha was a bonus, but still, he missed her personality and love mostly, and was so beyond ecstatic to have her back. He'd never let her go again. He swore it.

Yeah, they were separated now, but Inu didn't like the looks they were giving each other one bit. Don't be silly; it's been a long time since Shippou has seen her, and he's changed a lot from what Kagome would remember. It's only natural that they'd want to catch up. 

"She's mine."

Stop being so selfish. You'll have her to yourself again soon enough. Besides, she's already your mate; what're you so worried about?

"She's mine and he shouldn't have touched her. He knows better after living with me most of his life."

You never complained this strongly before.

"He could get away with it when he was younger, but not now. He's too old now."

Umm hmm, and what's g...

"Inu Yasha?"

"Hmm?" The inu youkai stood to greet his mate.

"Where's the bathroom?"

"Use the one in my room." She smiled at him. Gods, he would give the world for that smile.

"Thanks." With a kiss on the cheek she was off, and with a promise to be back, the blushing hanyou turned to Shippou; they had some talking to do.

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Well, that had *easily* been the longest hour and a half of Inu Yasha's life. He and Shippou had had their talk, but when Kagome came back, she did nothing to help the situation. He had to give it to the kit, Shippou had tried to keep a bit of distance, but Kagome insisted on letting him rest his head when he was tired, and Shippou could only look at Inu Yasha with the "sorry, but what can I do?" look; not that the kit minded of course. He relished it actually, but he didn't want to die, and messing with another's mate was something you just didn't do. 

After so long without someone around, the Shippou had never slept so soundly as he did next to the miko that day. He had often woken up in the middle of the night over the years, panicking because he realized she wasn't there; that was, of course, before he remembered that he couldn't see her, not yet. He shuddered at the thought; it had been so hard knowing where she was and not being able to visit her. Actually, Inu Yasha would never tell him where she was, but he had followed the hanyou one day, curious as to where he often disappeared to, and saw Kagome coming from the well. He would've jumped her right then if Inu Yasha hadn't grabbed him by the scruff of the neck, the one that was no longer there I might add (in other words, Inu grabbed his neck by his regular skin, not the loose skin baby animals tend to have. Ouch.). He was explained to why he couldn't see her, but that had made it that much harder. Even knowing that she was going through the well and that he'd be able to see her soon made it that much more difficult to wait, like a kid on Christmas eve, you know? It was strange really. She had been gone so long, but not that she was back, it seemed as if she had never left.

Kirara had come in to join them at some point during the film, and it was placed upon her to wake the sleeping kit when the movie was over. Kagome had gone to explore some of the rest of the apartment, or that floor at least, when Inu Yasha decided it was time for another talk. Shippou was hesitant at first, but when Kagome came back, Shippou informed her that he already had plans that night, and would be staying the night at a friend's house. He said that he'd have to leave then to make it before dark, but that he'd be back later the next day.

When Shippou left, both he and Kagome held heavier hearts, but that was soon remedied with thoughts of the approaching day. For now, there was really only one thing left to think about.

"Well, Shippou's gone..." Kagome looked to Inu Yasha a bit dejectedly.

He simply grinned and pulled her close. "You know, I never did give you that tour."

She smiled slightly; "What else do I have left to see?"

"A lot, but for now..." Letting loose a low growl, Inu Yasha grinned and yanked Kagome backwards, catching her as she fell, and nipping playfully at her neck. Surprise turned to laughter when she nipped back at him, a shocked expression boring down on her from the hanyou she so loved. She giggled at his expression and pushed down on his shoulders, gaining the altitude needed to reach up and lick the side of one of his fuzzy ears, each sensitive snow-white hair causing a noticeable shiver to wrack the hanyou's form.

Oh yeah, she'd done it now. Any hope of her leaving his room for any time during the night was now completely vanquished as he bounded into said room and tossed her on the bed. Playful giggles and growls were easily heard up until the amused hanyou decided to gently kick the door closed, locking them in for the night. 

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The door opened early the next morning, much too early for Kagome's usual liking, but Inu Yasha claimed to have something to show her. Why he wanted to give her a tour at this time of morning was beyond her, but it took too much energy to think anyway, so she just let it slide. Besides, he said that afterwards, they could go back to bed, and the sooner they left, the sooner they could go back.

"Stop worrying; You're not pregnant."

"But..." Kagome wrung the bottom hem of one of Inu Yasha's shirts. He had loaned her one long enough to have the tour, as they were going to go back to bed anyway. It was actually kind of long, reaching easily to mid calf, but Kagome didn't mind; it smelled of him.

"No 'but's Kagome; just trust me, you're not."

"... Promise?" Inu Yasha laughed and wrapped a blanket over her shoulders, taking the opportunity to cuddle her from behind.

"I promise mate. Why would I lie to you?"

She glared at him softly, "It's too early for this." Inu Yasha simply chuckled and lead her back to the glass pane wall she had seen the day before.

"We need to work on your mornings." Kagome stuck her tongue out at him and he laughed again. Opening the door only worsened her mood. The door led to a balcony. Sure, the skyline was beautiful when lit with buildings, but now everything was dark, not to mention cold. She would've much preferred to stay in bed than come out into a cold sea of darkness. Kagome shuddered slightly; that reminded her way too much of the bird youkai for her liking.

"So..." Inu Yasha began, "what are we going to do with this?" 

Kagome looked up at him to find the Shikon no Tama resting gently in his palm. A startled gasp escaped her lips as her hand rushed to her chest, proving that it had indeed been missing. She must've taken it off last night... or he had.

Kagome's gaze dropped towards the floor; "I... I don't know."

Nuzzling her neck again, Inu Yasha kissed her mark, purring softly to try and cheer her up a little. "Well, what do you want out of life mate?"

Without a second thought she responded; "I want to live to see Shippou all grown up, so to speak, with children of his own. I want to see his pups and play with them. I want them to know their grandmother and grandfather. Most of all, I want to live with you and raise our pups." The hanyou smile tenderly at her and nuzzled her cheek with his. "I want to finish school first though, and I want a job I love doing, but I guess that's everyone's ideal, a perfect job." 

He chuckled softly; "You know what my perfect job is?"

"Hmm?"

"Protecting you... and someday our pups." Kagome had to choke back a sob. Everything was so beautiful, so perfect; she wished it could always be this way, and that...

"I know what I want." The hanyou smirked and tightened his embrace.

"Oh do you?" The miko nodded and grasped the jewel. Concentrating all of her power, she reached into it with nothing more than her very heart, and in a moment, a pink light appeared, engulfing both in a blanket of warmth and contentment, and then disappearing as quickly as it had come. When she opened her eyes again, the jewel was gone.

"What did you wish for?"

She smiled. "I wished that we could grow old together, that I could live as long as you do, of course, that is if you are still alive. If you die I will too, so now you have at least three to protect, your mate, your pup," she giggled lovingly, "or pups," he smiled, "and yourself."

"I will always protect you Kagome, you know that. If I have to protect myself to do it, then that's fine by me."

The couple looked from the balcony as the sky began its shift from black to blue, then purple, red, pink, and yellow. They watched every color come and go like birds of night, flying home to families of their own to await the next night, and bring rest to those who needed it. It was the most beautiful thing Kagome had ever seen and, as she stared in awe at the glistening buildings around them, lit up by the sweet kiss of the sun, she couldn't help but smile. She imagined what was to come, and what obstacles they would have to overcome, not to mention what her mother would say when she was informed that Kagome would be moving here. Yeah, that'd be interesting.

"Kagome, are you ready?" She looked over her shoulder and gazed lovingly at Inu Yasha. 

"Ready? For what Inu?" The hanyou smirked at the new name, and turned her around in his arms. He allowed himself to be lost within those beautiful pools, filled with love and shining with happiness. That he could bring such happiness to her... she would see this sunset every morning, and he, something much more beautiful, her.

"To start living." 

Tears began to flow down the young miko's face as she nodded and snuggled more deeply into Inu Yasha's embrace, burying herself in his chest. The sun rose, and the couple returned to bed, ever awaiting and dreaming of the days to come, and the happiness those days would bring. They were forever one, in heart, in soul, and in body. 

From the moment the well sealed they had been living, no longer for the past, but for the future. And now, surrounded by the ones they love, the two can set out to live life, not with memories of the present, but with hopes for the future.

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Well, I can't really say "the end" because, though it may be the end of this fic, it is by far the end of the story. They still have hundreds of years to be together, so this is not nearly the end.

Hey, I have an AN for the next chapter that I would really appreciate if you helped me with. It'll talk about what I'm doing next and ask for opinions and stuff. 

Thanks for reading; I hope you enjoyed it!^_^ *hugs to all!!!*


	33. AN Hello!

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To everyone who has commented (to the date that I typed this):

Aaliyah/ acorngirl/ Ame Tenshi/ anda / angelofdiamonds/ Aurora Belmont vampire hunter/ claudia67g / crispy muffin/ Dragon Writer / DreamScribbler/ Ember/ FanFicFanatic/ Goku's Daughter / GothicElf/ HanyouInuyasha/ haruka-san/ Jess / Kachie-chan / KeriMaxwell/ KevinEC/ Leiliiani/ Mai/ Merith/ Mikomi-chan/ Monique / monkeysme/ Neko-chan/ pheonia / Sailor Cosmos/ Sarah-chan / Shinta/ Shisou/ silverstarlight/ Solus Nox/ Somebody / StDogbert/ SxStrngSamurai13/ SylverAngel/ TalonKarrde/ Tiger Queen/ Tony / typogirl / v.a. / Venus Aeternus / ViKy / VraiValea21/ wildlily/ Yani Cardaria/ YumiYa/ Zerianyu/ ~*~

And to everyone that I either accidentally didn't name or that commented after I typed this, **_I LOVE YOU GUYS!!!! _**No, seriously, you guys ARE the best. You put up with the good, the bad, and gods I sound like I'm in the academy awards!^_^; lol No, but seriously, thank you for putting up with the steadily elongating update times. I'm really sorry about that, but life has a way of changing plans right?^_~ *giggles* this was totally worth it to begin with, but all of your comments brightened my day and made it a whole lot more enjoyable in the long run. Thank you sooooo much! *big group hug and Inu Yasha cake pieces for everyone!* Okay, who wants a tatter-tot war? Muahahahahaha!!!!

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Future Plans:

Okay, I'm planning on doing three things, but I'm still not quite certain as of yet. First off, let me say that I have an INCREDIBLY busy spring break in a week or so, and that I won't be able to update anything. When I come back I hope to have sorted out the new fic I'm doing, and that I'll be able to post the first couple of chapters.^_^ With Memories of the Present, my first update had six chapters, but I think this one may only have three or so.

As for what fic(s) I'm doing next?

Well, I'm definitely doing an AU one I like to call **Do the Math.**

**************The basic plot line: Kag and Inu used to be inseparable when little, grew apart, Kag needs a tutor and they decide to "help" each other out (for a price! Muahahaha!).Yeah, yeah, you've seen it right?

**************The slightly more plot-based part: Kag gets in an accident and starts seeing things she only remembers seeing in her dreams as a little kid. Hehe, can't tell you whaattt.^_^ Mmm... confrontation is your friend.^_^

**************Fun stuffs: Heh, things like, oh, I don't know, putting Kag's diary on a PowerPoint presentation and showing it to the class, Shippou getting a hold of Inu's swimming trunks, good stuffs like that.^_^ 

Right now it is still in the planning stages. It'll be an AU of course, mostly a romance/angst/ comedy like Memories of the Present, only a little lighter for the most part. I'll try to make it as little like the typical school/tutor Aus as possible okay.^_~ lol Oh, and should Kikyo be there for dramatic effect? If she is I'll make her nicer than most fics, but I don't really like her so she probably won't be included. So what do you guys think? Any good?

Another one I've been considering for a couple months is **The Grass is Always Greener**.

Basically, it's a one-shot from Kikyo's viewpoint, but how the manga has Kikyo, not the anime.

See, I don't really like Kikyo at all. I tend to despise the love interests in fics, but I feel kind of bad because, well, she's handling her situation a hell of a lot better than most would. I mean seriously, what would you do if you woke up to find your claim in the clutches of another? That would suck, and that isn't even half of her worries!

Anyway, Kikyo is a bit nicer in the manga and I wanted to do a short thing to show that. *shrugs* I may not like her, but you can't help but feel a little sorry for her.

And lastly, there is one I REALLY want to do, but it would take A LOT, and I mean A LOOOTTTT of reader suggestions. It would be a humor AU called **Roundabout Toys**.

Here's the plot: The gang are all toys on their journey from the toy isle to Rin's dollhouse, courtesy of Sesshoumaru. Can they stay together through the trials? Can Kagome and Inu Yasha stay together as they battle every day objects (youkai) for batteries (shards) to make an uber battery (Shikon no Tama) to put into the car in the garage out back and escape and fulfill their dreams and make them a reality? 

I think Miroku would be a Ken doll, Sango a warrior barbie, and Inu would be one of those white dog toys that yip and flip backwards. Muahahahaha!!!! I don't know about Kagome, Kouga, or any of them yet, or if they'd even be in it. Heh, first battles would probably be a fight against the Easy Bake Oven, the new electronic Kerplunk, and the Pretty Pretty Princess game of doom.

Yeah, but I would need a lot of audience input for games to battle and stuff. Also, I need a little help coming up with toys for the rest of the cast. Because I'd need input and I'd be doing **Do the Math** as well, it probably wouldn't be updated regularly, but it'd be fun!^_^

So yeah, what do you guys think? Any ideas? ^_^


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